Carlos Alcaraz clinched his second Queen's Club title as the world number two warmed up for Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 win against Jiri Lehecka in Sunday's final.&nbsp;Alcaraz blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world number 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/leveling-the-playing-field-how-corporates-are-building-india-s-sports-future-1750602069234">Leveling the playing field: How corporates are building India’s sports future</a>&nbsp;Having won titles on clay at the French Open, Rome and Monte Carlo, as well as the hard courts of Rotterdam, Alcaraz has now collected five trophies in 2025.&nbsp;The 22-year-old has not lost since the Barcelona final against Holger Rune on April 20 and is enjoying the longest winning streak of his career with 18 successive victories.&nbsp;Top-seeded Alcaraz is just the second Spanish man to win Queen's twice after Feliciano Lopez, who lifted the trophy in 2017 and 2019.&nbsp;"I'm happy to lift this trophy once again. It's a nightmare to play against Jiri, but it's been an incredible week," Alcaraz said.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I came without expectations. I just wanted to play good tennis and get used to the grass.&nbsp;"It's really special playing here every year. I can't wait to come back next year."&nbsp;For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has developed into a formidable force on grass.&nbsp;The former world number one signalled his emergence on the surface by winning Queen's in 2023.&nbsp;He clinched the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defended his All England Club crown last year.&nbsp;Alcaraz, who has an 11-1 career record at Queen's, will start his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on June 30.&nbsp;After his semi-final win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Alcaraz fired an ominous message to his Wimbledon rivals, warning that his "grass-court mode" had been activated.&nbsp;And on the evidence of his relentless display against the obdurate Lehecka, he is in no mood to surrender his All England Club crown.<h2>Ruthless Alcaraz</h2>&nbsp;Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, Alcaraz's march to the Queen's showpiece made it five consecutive finals for the Spaniard.&nbsp;In contrast, Lehecka was playing in his first grass-court final after a shock win against British star Jack Draper in the last four.&nbsp;The 23-year-old was the first Czech in the Queen's final since Ivan Lendl in 1990.&nbsp;Lehecka had come from a set down to stun Alcaraz in the Qatar Open quarter-finals in February.&nbsp;But there would be no repeat of that upset on the lawns of Barons Court.&nbsp;In his second Queen's final, Alcaraz had an early chance to break in the fifth game of the first set.&nbsp;Lehecka thundered down an ace to get out of trouble of that occasion.&nbsp;But the five-time Grand Slam champion matched Lehecka's serve blow for blow, dropping just one point in his first four service games.&nbsp;Alcaraz's piercing ground-strokes increased the pressure, and Lehecka finally cracked in the 11th game when a badly-timed double-fault gifted the first break to the Spaniard.&nbsp;Alcaraz served out the set in typically ruthless fashion, but Lehecka refused to surrender without a fight.&nbsp;A tight second set stayed on serve all the way through to the tie-break and, for once, Alcaraz stumbled with a key double-fault, allowing Lehecka to level the match.&nbsp;Alcaraz was unfazed, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set when Lehecka netted an off-balance forehand.&nbsp;Alcaraz had the finish line in sight, and he wrapped up his latest title triumph with a flurry of searing winners.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz crowned king of Queen’s for second time

Carlos Alcaraz clinched his second Queen's Club title as the world number two warmed up for Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 win against Jiri Lehecka in Sunday's final. Alcaraz blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world number 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London. Also read | Leveling the playing field: How corporates are building India’s sports future Having won titles on clay at the French Open, Rome and Monte Carlo, as well as the hard courts of Rotterdam, Alcaraz has now collected five trophies in 2025. The 22-year-old has not lost since the Barcelona final against Holger Rune on April 20 and is enjoying the longest winning streak of his career with 18 successive victories. Top-seeded Alcaraz is just the second Spanish man to win Queen's twice after Feliciano Lopez, who lifted the trophy in 2017 and 2019. "I'm happy to lift this trophy once again. It's a nightmare to play against Jiri, but it's been an incredible week," Alcaraz said. "I came without expectations. I just wanted to play good tennis and get used to the grass. "It's really special playing here every year. I can't wait to come back next year." For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has developed into a formidable force on grass. The former world number one signalled his emergence on the surface by winning Queen's in 2023. He clinched the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defended his All England Club crown last year. Alcaraz, who has an 11-1 career record at Queen's, will start his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on June 30. After his semi-final win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Alcaraz fired an ominous message to his Wimbledon rivals, warning that his "grass-court mode" had been activated. And on the evidence of his relentless display against the obdurate Lehecka, he is in no mood to surrender his All England Club crown. Ruthless Alcaraz Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, Alcaraz's march to the Queen's showpiece made it five consecutive finals for the Spaniard. In contrast, Lehecka was playing in his first grass-court final after a shock win against British star Jack Draper in the last four. The 23-year-old was the first Czech in the Queen's final since Ivan Lendl in 1990. Lehecka had come from a set down to stun Alcaraz in the Qatar Open quarter-finals in February. But there would be no repeat of that upset on the lawns of Barons Court. In his second Queen's final, Alcaraz had an early chance to break in the fifth game of the first set. Lehecka thundered down an ace to get out of trouble of that occasion. But the five-time Grand Slam champion matched Lehecka's serve blow for blow, dropping just one point in his first four service games. Alcaraz's piercing ground-strokes increased the pressure, and Lehecka finally cracked in the 11th game when a badly-timed double-fault gifted the first break to the Spaniard. Alcaraz served out the set in typically ruthless fashion, but Lehecka refused to surrender without a fight. A tight second set stayed on serve all the way through to the tie-break and, for once, Alcaraz stumbled with a key double-fault, allowing Lehecka to level the match. Alcaraz was unfazed, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set when Lehecka netted an off-balance forehand. Alcaraz had the finish line in sight, and he wrapped up his latest title triumph with a flurry of searing winners. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Alcaraz blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world number 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London.

Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying one of the best phases of his career. Just days after winning the Roland Garros 2025, the World No. 2 is back on court in winning ways. On Thursday (Jun 19), he defeated fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in a tough match to reach the Queen’s Club quarter-finals.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Alcaraz</a> won in sets of 6-4, 6-7, and 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours and 26 minutes. It was played on the hottest day of the year in London, making the contest even more challenging.&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-deja-vu-in-paris-carlos-alcaraz-replicates-his-idol-rafael-nadal-with-fifth-grand-slam-1749477239743">Deja Vu in Paris: Carlos Alcaraz replicates idol Rafael Nadal's record with fifth grand slam title</a>&nbsp;At one stage in the third set, Alcaraz was trailing by 2-4 and looked tired. However, having the attitude of never giving up, as seen in the French Open Final 2025, where he came back to win after his counterpart Jannik Sinner had three championship points. This time to stop cramps, he drank pickle juice between games, kept fighting, came back at 4-4, and finally won the match with a perfect lob shot.&nbsp;This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style.&nbsp;The first set went to Alcaraz after Munar served three double faults. The second set was a closed one. Alcaraz missed two match points in the tiebreaker, and Munar took the set with a clean forehand. The final set saw both players break each other’s serve, but Alcaraz stayed calm and finished strong.&nbsp;After the match, he smiled and wrote, “Were we on clay?” on the camera lens, joking about how long and hard the match felt.&nbsp;Alcaraz will now face Arthur Rinderknech of France in the quarter-final. Rinderknech has lost both previous meetings with Alcaraz, with the last loss coming at Queen’s 2023.&nbsp;With 15 wins in a row, his longest winning streak so far, the Spanish star looks ready to defend his Wimbledon title later this month.

This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style.

Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying one of the best phases of his career. Just days after winning the Roland Garros 2025, the World No. 2 is back on court in winning ways. On Thursday (Jun 19), he defeated fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in a tough match to reach the Queen’s Club quarter-finals. Alcaraz won in sets of 6-4, 6-7, and 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours and 26 minutes. It was played on the hottest day of the year in London, making the contest even more challenging. Also Read | Deja Vu in Paris: Carlos Alcaraz replicates idol Rafael Nadal's record with fifth grand slam title At one stage in the third set, Alcaraz was trailing by 2-4 and looked tired. However, having the attitude of never giving up, as seen in the French Open Final 2025, where he came back to win after his counterpart Jannik Sinner had three championship points. This time to stop cramps, he drank pickle juice between games, kept fighting, came back at 4-4, and finally won the match with a perfect lob shot. This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style. The first set went to Alcaraz after Munar served three double faults. The second set was a closed one. Alcaraz missed two match points in the tiebreaker, and Munar took the set with a clean forehand. The final set saw both players break each other’s serve, but Alcaraz stayed calm and finished strong. After the match, he smiled and wrote, “Were we on clay?” on the camera lens, joking about how long and hard the match felt. Alcaraz will now face Arthur Rinderknech of France in the quarter-final. Rinderknech has lost both previous meetings with Alcaraz, with the last loss coming at Queen’s 2023. With 15 wins in a row, his longest winning streak so far, the Spanish star looks ready to defend his Wimbledon title later this month.

This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style.

Carlos Alcaraz edges past Munar to reach Queen’s Club quarters

Carlos Alcaraz undoubtedly is on the path which many greats in the tennis history have taken. Having won five grand slam titles already including defending two of them (Wimbledon 2023 &amp; 2024 and French Open 2024 &amp; 2025), he's bound to create more history in the near future. With Wimbledon 2025 approaching fast, Alcaraz has a chance to join a league of extraordinary gentlemen - three to be precise - if he manages to win the grass court championships for the third time in a row. He has the ability and the history will definitely be on his side when he takes on the court in the tournament which starts June 30.Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon 2025? Let's look at the the history and his chances:Alcaraz has won last two Wimbledon championships in 2023 and 2024, beating Novak Djokovic both times in the final. Any player, who has won two back-to-back Wimbledon titles since the 1991, has managed to win at least three on the trot and below are the players who did it:Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-who-is-best-bet-to-win-wimbledon-2025-how-djokovic-can-all-but-ensure-record-25th-grand-slam-title-win-1750257737728">Best bet to win Wimbledon? How Djokovic can all but ensure record 25th grand slam title win</a>Pete Sampras (USA): He won in 1993, 1994 and 1995 before losing the losing 1996 Wimbledon in Round of 16. He again won the Championship in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.Roger Federer (Switzerland): The grass court great won five consecutive titles in 2003, 2024, 2005, 2006 and 2007 before adding three more in 2009, 2012 and 2017 - the most in open era history.Novak Djokovic (Serbia): The modern great has won Wimbledon titles in 2011, 2014 and 2015 before going on a four-title spree in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 with 2020 cancelled due to Covid 19.Apart from these three, Bjorn Borg (Sweden) had also won five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1976-80 while Boris Becker (Germany) won in 1985, 1986 and 1989.As Alcaraz already has two back-to-back titles, he has every chance to join Sampras, Federer and Djokovic in the elite list of players to win three consecutive Wimbledon championships since 1991.His current form also suggests that he'd be the one to beat, having won his second consecutive French Open title in a marathon five-set thriller against Jannik Sinner where he saved three title points in set four to mount his epic comeback.

Alcaraz has won last two Wimbledon championships in 2023 and 2024, beating Novak Djokovic both times in the final. Any player, who has won two back-to-back Wimbledon titles since the 1991, has managed to win at least three on the trot.

Carlos Alcaraz undoubtedly is on the path which many greats in the tennis history have taken. Having won five grand slam titles already including defending two of them (Wimbledon 2023 & 2024 and French Open 2024 & 2025), he's bound to create more history in the near future. With Wimbledon 2025 approaching fast, Alcaraz has a chance to join a league of extraordinary gentlemen - three to be precise - if he manages to win the grass court championships for the third time in a row. He has the ability and the history will definitely be on his side when he takes on the court in the tournament which starts June 30. Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon 2025? Let's look at the the history and his chances: Alcaraz has won last two Wimbledon championships in 2023 and 2024, beating Novak Djokovic both times in the final. Any player, who has won two back-to-back Wimbledon titles since the 1991, has managed to win at least three on the trot and below are the players who did it: Also Read - Best bet to win Wimbledon? How Djokovic can all but ensure record 25th grand slam title win Pete Sampras (USA): He won in 1993, 1994 and 1995 before losing the losing 1996 Wimbledon in Round of 16. He again won the Championship in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Roger Federer (Switzerland): The grass court great won five consecutive titles in 2003, 2024, 2005, 2006 and 2007 before adding three more in 2009, 2012 and 2017 - the most in open era history. Novak Djokovic (Serbia): The modern great has won Wimbledon titles in 2011, 2014 and 2015 before going on a four-title spree in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 with 2020 cancelled due to Covid 19. Apart from these three, Bjorn Borg (Sweden) had also won five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1976-80 while Boris Becker (Germany) won in 1985, 1986 and 1989. As Alcaraz already has two back-to-back titles, he has every chance to join Sampras, Federer and Djokovic in the elite list of players to win three consecutive Wimbledon championships since 1991. His current form also suggests that he'd be the one to beat, having won his second consecutive French Open title in a marathon five-set thriller against Jannik Sinner where he saved three title points in set four to mount his epic comeback.

Alcaraz has won last two Wimbledon championships in 2023 and 2024, beating Novak Djokovic both times in the final. Any player, who has won two back-to-back Wimbledon titles since the 1991, has managed to win at least three on the trot.

Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon 2025? History is on his side and so is form

As Wimbledon 2025 approaches, Novak Djokovic would be hoping to end his grand slam title drought which has been going on for nearly two years now. Djokovic, who has joint-most 24 grand slam titles (among men and women) to his name, last won at US Open 2023 final for a major trophy. As he continues to search for the record 25the grand slam title, the grass court championship could be his best bet given his record. He has won Wimbledon seven times - second only to Roger Federer's eight Wimbledon titles.While Djokovic certainly has a knack of winning on the grass court, his last two finals - where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz - has popped up some questions. The Serb, however, has not lost a single Wimbledon final if he managed to win at least two sets out of first three.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-retirement-should-he-call-time-heres-what-record-suggests-since-winning-last-grand-slam-us-open-2023-1749465545319">Should Novak Djokovic retire? Here's what his record suggests since winning US Open 2023 - his 24th grand slam</a>What is Djokovic's best bet to win at Wimbledon? Let's have a look:Djokovic first won a Wimbledon title in 2011 when he beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in four sets. It was three years later in 2014 when he won the second time - beating Roger Federer 6(7)-7(9), 6-4, 7(7)-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 in a five-set thriller. He defended his title next year in 2015 by beating Federer again, but this time in four sets - 7(7)-6(1), 6(10)-7(12), 6-4, 6-3.After a couple of years of gap, Djokovic came back to win four back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 with 2020 cancelled due to Covid 19. Here's how he won in each of these finals:<ul><li>Wimbledon 2018 Final: Djokovic beat Kevin Anderson 6-6, 6-2, 7(7)-6(3) in straight sets</li><li>Wimbledon 2019 Final: Djokovic beat Roger Federer 7(7)-6(5), 1-6, 7(7)-6(4), 4-6, 13(7)-12(3) in five-set epic</li><li>Wimbledon 2021 Final: Djokovic beat Matteo Berrettini 6(4)-7(7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in four sets</li><li>Wimbledon 2022 Final: Djokovic beat Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7(7)-6(3) in four sets</li></ul>Djokovic has also lost three Wimbledon finals in his career - 2013, 2023 and 2024 and below is how he lost them:<ul><li>Wimbledon 2013 Final: Djokovic lost to Andy Murray 4-6, 5-7, 4-6 in straight sets</li><li>Wimbledon 2023 Final: Djokovic lost to Alcaraz 6-1, 6(6)-7(8), 1-6, 3-6, 6-4 in five-set thriller</li><li>Wimbledon 2024 Final: Djokovic lost to Alcaraz 2-6, 2-6, 6(4)-7(7) in an anti-climax final</li></ul>It is clear that if Djokovic wins at least two sets from first three in the Wimbledon, he has 100 a percent title-win record and would be hoping to reprise the same at the upcoming Wimbledon Championship which starts June 30.

While Djokovic certainly has a knack of winning on the grass court, his last two finals - where he lost of Carlos Alcaraz - has popped up some questions. The Serb, however, has not lost a single Wimbledon final if he managed to get at least two wins in the first three sets.

As Wimbledon 2025 approaches, Novak Djokovic would be hoping to end his grand slam title drought which has been going on for nearly two years now. Djokovic, who has joint-most 24 grand slam titles (among men and women) to his name, last won at US Open 2023 final for a major trophy. As he continues to search for the record 25the grand slam title, the grass court championship could be his best bet given his record. He has won Wimbledon seven times - second only to Roger Federer's eight Wimbledon titles. While Djokovic certainly has a knack of winning on the grass court, his last two finals - where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz - has popped up some questions. The Serb, however, has not lost a single Wimbledon final if he managed to win at least two sets out of first three. Also Read - Should Novak Djokovic retire? Here's what his record suggests since winning US Open 2023 - his 24th grand slam What is Djokovic's best bet to win at Wimbledon? Let's have a look: Djokovic first won a Wimbledon title in 2011 when he beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in four sets. It was three years later in 2014 when he won the second time - beating Roger Federer 6(7)-7(9), 6-4, 7(7)-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 in a five-set thriller. He defended his title next year in 2015 by beating Federer again, but this time in four sets - 7(7)-6(1), 6(10)-7(12), 6-4, 6-3. After a couple of years of gap, Djokovic came back to win four back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 with 2020 cancelled due to Covid 19. Here's how he won in each of these finals: Wimbledon 2018 Final: Djokovic beat Kevin Anderson 6-6, 6-2, 7(7)-6(3) in straight sets Wimbledon 2019 Final: Djokovic beat Roger Federer 7(7)-6(5), 1-6, 7(7)-6(4), 4-6, 13(7)-12(3) in five-set epic Wimbledon 2021 Final: Djokovic beat Matteo Berrettini 6(4)-7(7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in four sets Wimbledon 2022 Final: Djokovic beat Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7(7)-6(3) in four sets Djokovic has also lost three Wimbledon finals in his career - 2013, 2023 and 2024 and below is how he lost them: Wimbledon 2013 Final: Djokovic lost to Andy Murray 4-6, 5-7, 4-6 in straight sets Wimbledon 2023 Final: Djokovic lost to Alcaraz 6-1, 6(6)-7(8), 1-6, 3-6, 6-4 in five-set thriller Wimbledon 2024 Final: Djokovic lost to Alcaraz 2-6, 2-6, 6(4)-7(7) in an anti-climax final It is clear that if Djokovic wins at least two sets from first three in the Wimbledon, he has 100 a percent title-win record and would be hoping to reprise the same at the upcoming Wimbledon Championship which starts June 30.

While Djokovic certainly has a knack of winning on the grass court, his last two finals - where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz - has popped up some questions. The Serb, however, has not lost a single Wimbledon final if he managed to win at least two sets out of first three.

Best bet to win Wimbledon? How Djokovic can all but ensure record 25th grand slam title win

Carlos Alcaraz came through a testing first-round match against Adam Walton at Queen's on Tuesday as the top seed returned to action for the first time since his dramatic French Open triumph.&nbsp;But two of the world's top 10 crashed out as Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton lost to French duo Corentin Moutet and Arthur Rinderknech respectively.&nbsp;Alcaraz, back on grass for the first time since winning his second Wimbledon title last year, beat his 86th-ranked opponent 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on a sweaty day in west London.&nbsp;The Spaniard, who overcame Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller at Roland Garros just nine days ago, broke in the seventh game and went on to clinch the first set against lucky loser Walton, who replaced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after he withdrew due to illness.&nbsp;The 2023 Queen's champion appeared to have found his rhythm only for Walton to rally impressively, carving out two set points on his opponent's serve in the 10th game.But the Australian failed to convert either of them and Alcaraz levelled, coming out on top in the subsequent tie-break.&nbsp;Alcaraz scribbled "Grass season, here we go!" on the courtside camera lens, thanking fans for their vocal support and saying he felt "loved" in London.&nbsp;"First match on grass is never easy to get used to the competition again, to get used to the grass again," he said. "So, I just want to say thank you for helping me a little bit."&nbsp;The world number two said he had taken time away from tennis after his gruelling French Open triumph to "reset" his mind and rest.&nbsp;"I'm just really happy with the performance that I had today," he said. "First match, I feel great. Obviously, a lot of things to improve, a lot of things that I have to put into work just to feel a little bit more comfortable on the grass. But in general, I'm just happy to get through."&nbsp;Alcaraz faces compatriot Jaume Munar in the last 16.&nbsp;World number four Fritz failed to convert a match point against Moutet before losing 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5.&nbsp;Moutet held on in the second set tie-break before securing the only break of serve in the match in the final game.&nbsp;Sheldon also stumbled to a shock early exit to Rinderknech in two tie-breaks 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4).&nbsp;Earlier, British second seed Jack Draper dispatched American Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-1 to reach the second round.&nbsp;The left-hander, who has previously beaten Sinner and Alcaraz at Queen's, won 93 percent of first-serve points and did not face a break point in a dominant display.&nbsp;Draper is chasing his second title on grass after winning in Stuttgart last year and will next face Alexei Popyrin after the Australian beat compatriot Aleksandar Vukic.&nbsp;"Feels amazing, no place I'd rather be," said Draper. "We travel the world playing tennis, never get to come home or spend much time with my family but to be on this court in front of you guys, my people, my family, thank you."&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Carlos Alcaraz came through a testing first-round match against Adam Walton at Queens on Tuesday as the top seed returned to action for the first time since his dramatic French Open triumph.

Carlos Alcaraz came through a testing first-round match against Adam Walton at Queen's on Tuesday as the top seed returned to action for the first time since his dramatic French Open triumph. But two of the world's top 10 crashed out as Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton lost to French duo Corentin Moutet and Arthur Rinderknech respectively. Alcaraz, back on grass for the first time since winning his second Wimbledon title last year, beat his 86th-ranked opponent 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on a sweaty day in west London. The Spaniard, who overcame Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller at Roland Garros just nine days ago, broke in the seventh game and went on to clinch the first set against lucky loser Walton, who replaced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after he withdrew due to illness. The 2023 Queen's champion appeared to have found his rhythm only for Walton to rally impressively, carving out two set points on his opponent's serve in the 10th game. But the Australian failed to convert either of them and Alcaraz levelled, coming out on top in the subsequent tie-break. Alcaraz scribbled "Grass season, here we go!" on the courtside camera lens, thanking fans for their vocal support and saying he felt "loved" in London. "First match on grass is never easy to get used to the competition again, to get used to the grass again," he said. "So, I just want to say thank you for helping me a little bit." The world number two said he had taken time away from tennis after his gruelling French Open triumph to "reset" his mind and rest. "I'm just really happy with the performance that I had today," he said. "First match, I feel great. Obviously, a lot of things to improve, a lot of things that I have to put into work just to feel a little bit more comfortable on the grass. But in general, I'm just happy to get through." Alcaraz faces compatriot Jaume Munar in the last 16. World number four Fritz failed to convert a match point against Moutet before losing 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5. Moutet held on in the second set tie-break before securing the only break of serve in the match in the final game. Sheldon also stumbled to a shock early exit to Rinderknech in two tie-breaks 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4). Earlier, British second seed Jack Draper dispatched American Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-1 to reach the second round. The left-hander, who has previously beaten Sinner and Alcaraz at Queen's, won 93 percent of first-serve points and did not face a break point in a dominant display. Draper is chasing his second title on grass after winning in Stuttgart last year and will next face Alexei Popyrin after the Australian beat compatriot Aleksandar Vukic. "Feels amazing, no place I'd rather be," said Draper. "We travel the world playing tennis, never get to come home or spend much time with my family but to be on this court in front of you guys, my people, my family, thank you." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Carlos Alcaraz came through a testing first-round match against Adam Walton at Queen's on Tuesday as the top seed returned to action for the first time since his dramatic French Open triumph.

French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz wins testing Queen's opener; Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton out

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu plan to team up in a star-studded and radically overhauled US Open mixed doubles competition set to include most of the top men's and women's singles players.Tournament organisers on Tuesday announced 16 pairings for the new-look format, with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek all named on the entry list.US tennis chiefs announced sweeping changes to the mixed doubles earlier this year, unveiling plans to stage the competition as a standalone event in the week before the singles draws begin.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-frances-tiafoe-crashes-out-holger-rune-cruises-through-at-queen-s-club-1750130168131">Frances Tiafoe crashes out, Holger Rune cruises through at Queen's Club</a>The tournament will be made up of 16 teams, with eight teams earning direct entry based on their combined singles ranking playing alongside eight wild-card entrants."Seeing the teams that have already put their names on the entry list makes us all incredibly excited," said Lew Sherr, the CEO and executive director of the United States Tennis Association."It shows that the players are behind what we are trying to do, and we know that the fans will love it."The pairings announced by organisers are not guaranteed to play in the event, but it is an indication the players listed are keen to be involved. The entry deadline is July 28.Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios could also partner up, with Coco Gauff and Holger Rune the only two players missing from the top 10 in both the men's and women's singles rankings.The winning pair will share a prize of $1 million.But the decision to shake up the competition using an amended rulebook has attracted stinging criticism.Last year's US Open mixed doubles winners, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, initially lambasted the move, labelling it a "profound injustice".However, they were among the teams on the entry list.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tournament organisers on Tuesday announced 16 pairings for the new-look format, with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek all named on the entry list.

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu plan to team up in a star-studded and radically overhauled US Open mixed doubles competition set to include most of the top men's and women's singles players. Tournament organisers on Tuesday announced 16 pairings for the new-look format, with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek all named on the entry list. US tennis chiefs announced sweeping changes to the mixed doubles earlier this year, unveiling plans to stage the competition as a standalone event in the week before the singles draws begin. Also Read - Frances Tiafoe crashes out, Holger Rune cruises through at Queen's Club The tournament will be made up of 16 teams, with eight teams earning direct entry based on their combined singles ranking playing alongside eight wild-card entrants. "Seeing the teams that have already put their names on the entry list makes us all incredibly excited," said Lew Sherr, the CEO and executive director of the United States Tennis Association. "It shows that the players are behind what we are trying to do, and we know that the fans will love it." The pairings announced by organisers are not guaranteed to play in the event, but it is an indication the players listed are keen to be involved. The entry deadline is July 28. Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios could also partner up, with Coco Gauff and Holger Rune the only two players missing from the top 10 in both the men's and women's singles rankings. The winning pair will share a prize of $1 million. But the decision to shake up the competition using an amended rulebook has attracted stinging criticism. Last year's US Open mixed doubles winners, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, initially lambasted the move, labelling it a "profound injustice". However, they were among the teams on the entry list. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tournament organisers on Tuesday announced 16 pairings for the new-look format, with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek all named on the entry list.

Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu pair up for US Open mixed doubles

It was July 6, 2008, in London when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/nadal">Rafael Nadal</a> found himself in the middle of a rain-interrupted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wimbledon">Wimbledo</a>n final with a fading sunset over the centre court.&nbsp;Despite the challenging conditions, Nadal held his nerve and defeated Roger Federer with scores of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), and 9-7, in one of the greatest grand slam finals ever played.&nbsp;He was just 22 years, one month, and three days old when he lifted his fifth grand slam trophy.&nbsp;Fast forward 17 years when history repeated itself in Paris&nbsp;On June 8, 2025, Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal’s biggest fan and tennis’ rising superstar, pulled off a miracle. Facing, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the French Open final, Alcaraz found himself in a tough position, trailing by two sets and has to save three championship points in the fourth set.&nbsp;One point from Sinner and he would win his maiden title at Roland Garros. Alcaraz, determined to achieve victory, scripted an incredible comeback. He won the thrilling match with the scores of 4–6, 6–7(4), 6–4, 7–6(3), and 7–6(2).&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-roland-garros-carlos-alcaraz-shares-four-word-message-after-french-open-win-jannik-sinner-1749458255252">Carlos Alcaraz shares four-word message after French Open win</a>&nbsp;And here’s an interesting statistic, Alcaraz won his fifth grand slam at the same age (22 years, one month, three days) as Nadal did back in 2008.

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After the match, Alcaraz speaking at the post-match presentation said, “That has to be destiny,” he said. “Winning my fifth grand slam at the same age as Rafa, my idol—it’s something I’ll remember forever.”&nbsp;With this win, Alcaraz now holds two French Open titles (2024, 2025), two Wimbledon titles (2023, 2024), and the 2022 US Open. He’s still undefeated in grand slam finals with an impressive 5-0 record.&nbsp;Next stop for Alcaraz&nbsp;The young Spaniard will aim to defend his Wimbledon crown for a third straight year just like his idol Rafa once defended the Roland Garros title from 2005-08 and then 2010-14.

On June 8, 2025, Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal’s biggest fan and tennis’ rising superstar, pulled off a miracle. Facing, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the French Open final Alcaraz found himself in a tough position, trailing by two sets and three championship points in the fourth set.

It was July 6, 2008, in London when Rafael Nadal found himself in the middle of a rain-interrupted Wimbledon final with a fading sunset over the centre court. Despite the challenging conditions, Nadal held his nerve and defeated Roger Federer with scores of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), and 9-7, in one of the greatest grand slam finals ever played. He was just 22 years, one month, and three days old when he lifted his fifth grand slam trophy. Fast forward 17 years when history repeated itself in Paris On June 8, 2025, Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal’s biggest fan and tennis’ rising superstar, pulled off a miracle. Facing, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the French Open final, Alcaraz found himself in a tough position, trailing by two sets and has to save three championship points in the fourth set. One point from Sinner and he would win his maiden title at Roland Garros. Alcaraz, determined to achieve victory, scripted an incredible comeback. He won the thrilling match with the scores of 4–6, 6–7(4), 6–4, 7–6(3), and 7–6(2). Also Read | Carlos Alcaraz shares four-word message after French Open win And here’s an interesting statistic, Alcaraz won his fifth grand slam at the same age (22 years, one month, three days) as Nadal did back in 2008.

On June 8, 2025, Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal’s biggest fan and rising tennis superstar, pulled off a miracle. Facing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the French Open final, Alcaraz found himself in a tough position, trailing by two sets and had to save three championship points in the fourth set.

Deja Vu in Paris: Carlos Alcaraz replicates idol Rafael Nadal's record with fifth grand slam title

Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff won big money at the French Open 2025. Here's how much prize money the winners and runners-up Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka earned.

Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff won big money at the French Open 2025. Here's how much prize money the winners and runners-up Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka earned.

French Open 2025 prize money revealed: How much did Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and runners-up take home?

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz just won one of the best matches in the history of French Open 2025 as he defended his title in come-from-behind victory in a five-set thriller against Jannik Sinner on Sunday (June 8). Alcaraz, 22, was two sets down against Sinner at 4-6, 6(4)-7(7) and then staged a comeback for ages in the longest final of French Open history.The Roland Garros title which he defended was his fifth grand slam since making his debut in Australian Open 2022 and none of his contemporary players are near to him. The closest is Jannik Sinner with three titles but Alcaraz is paces ahead of him as he showed on Sunday.His win at Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on Sunday proposed a question - Is he officially the one of the successors of Big Three - Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer? Here's what his record says:Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-retirement-should-he-call-time-heres-what-record-suggests-since-winning-last-grand-slam-us-open-2023-1749465545319">Should Novak Djokovic retire? Here's what his record suggests since winning US Open 2023 - his 24th grand slam</a>In 14 grand slams played, Alcaraz has never lost a chance to win a title whenever he has managed to reach the final: US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, French Open 2024 and 2025.Since winning his first grand slam at Flushing Meadows in 2022, he has managed to reach semis or more of a grand slam on six occasions and won four titles. The remaining two times (French Open 2023 and US Open) he lost in semis.While he has managed a win in three of the four grand slams, Rod Laver Arena in Australian Open remains the only court he has not conquered yet but looking at his form, the title is somewhere in the near future.In four Australian Open tournaments played, he has been a quarter-finalists twice and lost both those games (2024 and 2025) in four sets.He also has the strength and fitness to last long as three of his five title wins have come in five sets and remaining two in three sets. It is clearly not easy to beat him even when the opponents pin him two sets down in a grand slam final (French Open 2024 and 2025).With two of Big Three retired and Novak Djokovic in his fag end of the career, Carlos Alcaraz clearly seems the favorite to take the reins - at least as of now.

In 14 grand slams played, Alcaraz has never lost a chance to win a title whenever he has managed to reach the final: US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, French Open 2024 and 2025.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz just won one of the best matches in the history of French Open 2025 as he defended his title in come-from-behind victory in a five-set thriller against Jannik Sinner on Sunday (June 8). Alcaraz, 22, was two sets down against Sinner at 4-6, 6(4)-7(7) and then staged a comeback for ages in the longest final of French Open history. The Roland Garros title which he defended was his fifth grand slam since making his debut in Australian Open 2022 and none of his contemporary players are near to him. The closest is Jannik Sinner with three titles but Alcaraz is paces ahead of him as he showed on Sunday. His win at Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on Sunday proposed a question - Is he officially the one of the successors of Big Three - Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer? Here's what his record says: Also Read - Should Novak Djokovic retire? Here's what his record suggests since winning US Open 2023 - his 24th grand slam In 14 grand slams played, Alcaraz has never lost a chance to win a title whenever he has managed to reach the final: US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, French Open 2024 and 2025. Since winning his first grand slam at Flushing Meadows in 2022, he has managed to reach semis or more of a grand slam on six occasions and won four titles. The remaining two times (French Open 2023 and US Open) he lost in semis. While he has managed a win in three of the four grand slams, Rod Laver Arena in Australian Open remains the only court he has not conquered yet but looking at his form, the title is somewhere in the near future. In four Australian Open tournaments played, he has been a quarter-finalists twice and lost both those games (2024 and 2025) in four sets. He also has the strength and fitness to last long as three of his five title wins have come in five sets and remaining two in three sets. It is clearly not easy to beat him even when the opponents pin him two sets down in a grand slam final (French Open 2024 and 2025). With two of Big Three retired and Novak Djokovic in his fag end of the career, Carlos Alcaraz clearly seems the favorite to take the reins - at least as of now.

In 14 grand slams played, Alcaraz has never lost a chance to win a title whenever he has managed to reach the final: US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, French Open 2024 and 2025.

Is Carlos Alcaraz officially one of the successors of Big Three? His titles and fitness surely favour him

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner to win his second Roland Garros title on Sunday (June 8). The match lasted over five hours, making it the longest final in French Open history. Now, let’s take a look at the five longest finals in Grand Slam history during the Open Era.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner to win his second Roland Garros title on Sunday (June 8). The match lasted over five hours, making it the longest final in French Open history. Now, let’s take a look at the five longest finals in Grand Slam history during the Open Era.

5 Longest Grand Slam finals in Open Era: Alcaraz vs Sinner not the longest. Check who tops the list

Spanish Tennis star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz </a>pulled off one of the most amazing comebacks in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/french-open">French Open </a>history on Sunday (June 8) by beating Italy's Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-set final at the Court Philippe Chatrier, which lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes. This match not only became the longest men's singles final ever at Roland-Garros but also the second-longest <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/grand-slam">Grand Slam</a> final in the Open Era.&nbsp;The Roland Garros 2025 final was filled with drama and excitement. At one point, the defending champion was down by two sets and appeared close to losing as Sinner held three championship points in the fourth set.&nbsp;However, the 22-year-old Spanish star fought fiercely and managed to take the match to a deciding fifth set. In the final-set 10-point tiebreaker, Alcaraz kept his composure and completed an incredible comeback and won the summit clash by 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) and 7-6 (10-2).&nbsp;Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/roland-garros-carlos-alcaraz-scripts-marvellous-comeback-to-beat-jannik-sinner-for-french-open-2025-crown-1749403046167"> Carlos Alcaraz scripts marvellous comeback to beat Sinner for French Open crown</a>&nbsp;With this victory, Alcaraz won his second French Open title and his fifth Grand Slam overall. After such a big moment, he took to the social media platform X and posted a simple message:&nbsp;"Cómo ha ido vuestro domingo?" in Spanish.It means "How was your Sunday?" in English.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Cómo ha ido vuestro domingo? 🥲 <a href="https://t.co/HRHZj7i3Ye">pic.twitter.com/HRHZj7i3Ye</a>&mdash; Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) <a href="https://twitter.com/carlosalcaraz/status/1931827237424451809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The epic final had the world's attention with attendance from international celebrities like Pharrell Williams, Natalie Portman, and Lily Collins. Every point felt crucial as momentum shifted between the two players. Both Alcaraz and Sinner displayed remarkable skill and determination in the title-winning clash.&nbsp;Sinner, the current world No. 1 and the 2024 Australian Open champion, was playing in his maiden Roland Garros final. Despite losing, he put up a great fight and showed why he’s one of the best players in the world.&nbsp;In his post-match speech, Sinner said he probably wouldn’t sleep well that night, a clear sign of how much the loss hurt.&nbsp;With this win, Alcaraz will aim to maintain his momentum and defend the Wimbledon title.

This match not only became the longest men's singles final ever at Roland-Garros but also the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era.

Spanish Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz pulled off one of the most amazing comebacks in French Open history on Sunday (June 8) by beating Italy's Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-set final at the Court Philippe Chatrier, which lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes. This match not only became the longest men's singles final ever at Roland-Garros but also the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era. The Roland Garros 2025 final was filled with drama and excitement. At one point, the defending champion was down by two sets and appeared close to losing as Sinner held three championship points in the fourth set. However, the 22-year-old Spanish star fought fiercely and managed to take the match to a deciding fifth set. In the final-set 10-point tiebreaker, Alcaraz kept his composure and completed an incredible comeback and won the summit clash by 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) and 7-6 (10-2). Also Read | Carlos Alcaraz scripts marvellous comeback to beat Sinner for French Open crown With this victory, Alcaraz won his second French Open title and his fifth Grand Slam overall. After such a big moment, he took to the social media platform X and posted a simple message: "Cómo ha ido vuestro domingo?" in Spanish. It means "How was your Sunday?" in English.

This match not only became the longest men's singles final ever at Roland-Garros but also the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era.&nbsp;

Carlos Alcaraz shares four-word message after French Open win

Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday.&nbsp;Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes.&nbsp;The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner's 20-match winning run at the majors.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm pretty sure you'll be champion not once, but many many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament. Making history with you," Alcaraz said, addressing Sinner after the final.&nbsp;Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min.&nbsp;Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams -- after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal -- following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation.&nbsp;Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year's US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs.&nbsp;"It's easier to play than talking now," said a devastated Sinner. &nbsp;"We tried our best today, we gave everything we had.&nbsp;"I won't sleep very well tonight but it's OK."&nbsp;He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final -- and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.&nbsp;Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban.&nbsp;Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday's final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own.&nbsp;He couldn't take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold.&nbsp;Alcaraz's persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back.&nbsp;The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set.&nbsp;Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve.&nbsp;&nbsp;But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival's momentum.&nbsp;&nbsp;With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break.&nbsp;The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide.&nbsp;A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Carlos Alcaraz scripts marvellous comeback to beat Sinner for French Open crown

Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday. Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes. The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner's 20-match winning run at the majors. "I'm pretty sure you'll be champion not once, but many many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament. Making history with you," Alcaraz said, addressing Sinner after the final. Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min. Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams -- after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal -- following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation. Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year's US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs. "It's easier to play than talking now," said a devastated Sinner. "We tried our best today, we gave everything we had. "I won't sleep very well tonight but it's OK." He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final -- and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban. Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday's final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own. He couldn't take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold. Alcaraz's persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back. The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set. Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve. But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival's momentum. With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break. The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide. A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Trailing after the first two sets, Alcaraz rocked Sinner with perhaps the greatest comeback in tournament history to script a remarkable win at Roland Garros this year.

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final after ending Novak Djokovic's latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in the last four on Friday.The world number one held off a battling Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his first Roland Garros final."It was such a special occasion for me playing against Novak in the semi-final," said the three-time Grand Slam champion, who is now on a 20-match winning streak in majors.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/live-updates/sports/6-june-2025-the-french-open-2025-semi-final-live-score-updates-jannik-sinner-vs-novak-djokovic-1749227531884">FULL HIGHLIGHTS | French Open 2025 Semi-Final: Sinner overcomes Djokovic in straight sets to enter final</a>"I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I'm very happy."Djokovic battled hard in a dramatic contest that lasted three hours and 16 minutes, but three missed set points late in the third set ultimately put paid to his hopes of a comeback.Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, will be hoping to gain revenge on Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard in five sets in the semi-finals last year.The Italian will be playing in a maiden Slam final not on hard courts after edging 5-4 ahead in his head-to-head record with Djokovic with his fourth successive victory over the 38-year-old.Djokovic's exit ensures that a sixth successive major title will be lifted by either Sinner or world number two Alcaraz, in what appears increasingly likely to be a permanent changing of the guard.It will be the first Grand Slam final to be played between two men born in the 2000s.Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner, including in the Italian Open final in May when Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban."Sunday is going to be very difficult, I know my head-to-head lately doesn't look great against Carlos but let's see what I can do," said the 23-year-old.Djokovic was bidding to become the first man to win a Slam with victories over all of the world's top three players after beating Alexander Zverev in the quarters.Instead, he will turn his attentions to his seventh attempt to break out of a tie with Margaret Court on 24 major titles at Wimbledon next month.Sublime Sinner The top seed broke in the fifth game as Djokovic followed a netted backhand with an air-shot as a Sinner return skipped off the clay.Sinner wrapped up an ultimately comfortable opening set with a hold to love, finished off by a backhand winner.Djokovic was the better player at the start of the second set, but could not find a way through against an opponent who had not dropped serve since his opening-round win over France's Arthur Rinderknech.The Djokovic errors started to rack up in crucial points, although the three-time champion dug deep and broke Sinner when he was serving for a two-set lead.Djokovic could not back up his break, though, despite leading 40-15 in the next game, and then received treatment from the trainer on his right leg.Sinner closed out the set at the second time of asking courtesy of another battling hold that featured two aces, one from a second serve.Djokovic called for the physio for lengthier treatment ahead of the third set.He missed a break point in the fourth game, but refused to give in and eventually edged 5-4 in front on serve to put some pressure on Sinner.A cacophony of noise greeted a brilliant rally that saw Djokovic bring up two set points.Sinner fended them both off, and then a third, before Djokovic became incensed by a line call that didn't go his way as the set headed towards a tie-break.The end appeared nigh when Djokovic dumped the simplest of overheads into the net to gift Sinner a 3-0 edge in the breaker.Sinner, who like Alcaraz has never lost a Grand Slam final, completed the job on his second match point as Djokovic netted.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The world number one held off a battling Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his first Roland Garros final.

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final after ending Novak Djokovic's latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in the last four on Friday. The world number one held off a battling Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his first Roland Garros final. "It was such a special occasion for me playing against Novak in the semi-final," said the three-time Grand Slam champion, who is now on a 20-match winning streak in majors. Also Read - FULL HIGHLIGHTS | French Open 2025 Semi-Final: Sinner overcomes Djokovic in straight sets to enter final "I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I'm very happy." Djokovic battled hard in a dramatic contest that lasted three hours and 16 minutes, but three missed set points late in the third set ultimately put paid to his hopes of a comeback. Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, will be hoping to gain revenge on Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard in five sets in the semi-finals last year. The Italian will be playing in a maiden Slam final not on hard courts after edging 5-4 ahead in his head-to-head record with Djokovic with his fourth successive victory over the 38-year-old. Djokovic's exit ensures that a sixth successive major title will be lifted by either Sinner or world number two Alcaraz, in what appears increasingly likely to be a permanent changing of the guard. It will be the first Grand Slam final to be played between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner, including in the Italian Open final in May when Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban. "Sunday is going to be very difficult, I know my head-to-head lately doesn't look great against Carlos but let's see what I can do," said the 23-year-old. Djokovic was bidding to become the first man to win a Slam with victories over all of the world's top three players after beating Alexander Zverev in the quarters. Instead, he will turn his attentions to his seventh attempt to break out of a tie with Margaret Court on 24 major titles at Wimbledon next month. Sublime Sinner The top seed broke in the fifth game as Djokovic followed a netted backhand with an air-shot as a Sinner return skipped off the clay. Sinner wrapped up an ultimately comfortable opening set with a hold to love, finished off by a backhand winner. Djokovic was the better player at the start of the second set, but could not find a way through against an opponent who had not dropped serve since his opening-round win over France's Arthur Rinderknech. The Djokovic errors started to rack up in crucial points, although the three-time champion dug deep and broke Sinner when he was serving for a two-set lead. Djokovic could not back up his break, though, despite leading 40-15 in the next game, and then received treatment from the trainer on his right leg. Sinner closed out the set at the second time of asking courtesy of another battling hold that featured two aces, one from a second serve. Djokovic called for the physio for lengthier treatment ahead of the third set. He missed a break point in the fourth game, but refused to give in and eventually edged 5-4 in front on serve to put some pressure on Sinner. A cacophony of noise greeted a brilliant rally that saw Djokovic bring up two set points. Sinner fended them both off, and then a third, before Djokovic became incensed by a line call that didn't go his way as the set headed towards a tie-break. The end appeared nigh when Djokovic dumped the simplest of overheads into the net to gift Sinner a 3-0 edge in the breaker. Sinner, who like Alcaraz has never lost a Grand Slam final, completed the job on his second match point as Djokovic netted. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The world number one held off a battling Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his first Roland Garros final.

French Open 2025: Sinner sets up maiden Roland Garros final against defending champions Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz took his Roland Garros title defence all the way as he booked his spot in the final after eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final on Friday.&nbsp;The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue.&nbsp;Second seed Alcaraz will defend his crown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who meet later on Friday.&nbsp;"It's been three intense weeks, and now I have one step to make," he said. "I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament."&nbsp;He now leads 23-year-old Musetti 6-1 in their head-to-head series, winning all three of their clay-court battles this season after victories in the final at Monte Carlo and semi-finals of the Italian Open.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-french-open-2025-aryna-sabalenka-coco-gauff-final-when-and-where-to-watch-details-inside-1749202091610">French Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff Final: When and where to watch. Details inside</a>&nbsp;The 22-year-old is now into his second French Open showpiece match, and fifth major final overall.&nbsp;Just as in the Monte Carlo final in April, it was the Tuscan who clinched the first set in the latest edition of the budding Alcaraz-Musetti rivalry.&nbsp;Both players battled through an even opener that offered up occasional sparks of brilliance, but every time a sniff of a break opportunity appeared, the server upped his game to nullify it.&nbsp;Musetti eventually pounced at 5-4, drawing first blood in Alcaraz's fifth service game by concluding a brutal baseline rally with a hammered crosscourt forehand winner.&nbsp;He then secured three set points when Alcaraz dragged a shot long, before the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the tramlines to give Musetti the lead.&nbsp;The Italian began the second set with a trademark sweeping backhand down the line on the very first point as his confidence grew.&nbsp;Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz roared back to break Musetti to love in the third game, sealing it with a perfectly-weighted backhand drop-shot.&nbsp;However, Musetti immediately riposted to level the set at 2-2.&nbsp;Alcaraz produced two break points five games later, but Musetti held his nerve to wipe both out before celebrating the crucial hold with a double fist pump towards his box.&nbsp;The Monte Carlo and Rome champion did manage to get the break he needed on Musetti's next service game, but again the world number seven frustrated him by immediately hitting back to force a tie-break.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz marches into final as Musetti retires

Carlos Alcaraz took his Roland Garros title defence all the way as he booked his spot in the final after eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final on Friday. The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue. Second seed Alcaraz will defend his crown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who meet later on Friday. "It's been three intense weeks, and now I have one step to make," he said. "I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament." He now leads 23-year-old Musetti 6-1 in their head-to-head series, winning all three of their clay-court battles this season after victories in the final at Monte Carlo and semi-finals of the Italian Open. Also read | French Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff Final: When and where to watch. Details inside The 22-year-old is now into his second French Open showpiece match, and fifth major final overall. Just as in the Monte Carlo final in April, it was the Tuscan who clinched the first set in the latest edition of the budding Alcaraz-Musetti rivalry. Both players battled through an even opener that offered up occasional sparks of brilliance, but every time a sniff of a break opportunity appeared, the server upped his game to nullify it. Musetti eventually pounced at 5-4, drawing first blood in Alcaraz's fifth service game by concluding a brutal baseline rally with a hammered crosscourt forehand winner. He then secured three set points when Alcaraz dragged a shot long, before the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the tramlines to give Musetti the lead. The Italian began the second set with a trademark sweeping backhand down the line on the very first point as his confidence grew. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz roared back to break Musetti to love in the third game, sealing it with a perfectly-weighted backhand drop-shot. However, Musetti immediately riposted to level the set at 2-2. Alcaraz produced two break points five games later, but Musetti held his nerve to wipe both out before celebrating the crucial hold with a double fist pump towards his box. The Monte Carlo and Rome champion did manage to get the break he needed on Musetti's next service game, but again the world number seven frustrated him by immediately hitting back to force a tie-break. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue.

Carlos Alcaraz fought past American Ben Shelton in a tight four-set match to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, while Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina and keep her bid for a fourth straight title alive.&nbsp;Reigning champion Alcaraz clinched a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory after three hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to book a last-eight berth for a fourth straight year.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-french-open-aryna-sabalenka-powers-into-quarter-finals-after-dominant-win-over-amanda-anisimova-1748799933155">French Open: Aryna Sabalenka powers into quarter-finals after dominant win over Amanda Anisimova</a>&nbsp;Alcaraz will take on Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals, after the 12th seed saw off Australia's Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.&nbsp;"Today I fought against myself in the mind," he said.&nbsp;"In some moments I was mad, I was thinking not very good things. But I'm really happy that I didn't let the bad thoughts play against me... I tried to calm myself down and keep going."&nbsp;The four-time Grand Slam champion saved three set points in a dramatic opening-set tie-break before clinching it himself on his second.&nbsp;He crucially then saved six break points in a marathon first game of the second set, before going on to win it courtesy of a break in the eighth game.&nbsp;American 13th seed Shelton deservedly got a set on the board to extend the match, but Alcaraz quickly bounced back with an early break in the fourth.&nbsp;The second seed saw a match point come and go in the ninth game of the set, but he quickly brought up another one on his own serve and took the opportunity with a trademark forehand winner.&nbsp;Lorenzo Musetti continued his rich vein of form with an impressive 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 success against Danish 10th seed Holger Rune in the night session.&nbsp;The Italian eighth seed, who reached at least the semi-finals in clay-court Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, will face Frances Tiafoe in the last eight.&nbsp;American 15th seed Tiafoe booked a place in his first-ever French Open quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over unseeded German Daniel Altmaier.<h2>Swiatek downs Rybakina</h2>&nbsp;Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek, who has been struggling for her best form and has not reached a final since winning the title last year, was in serious trouble when trailing 2-0 to Rybakina in the second set.&nbsp;But the 24-year-old dug deep to clinch a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.&nbsp;Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman to win four straight Roland Garros crowns since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago.&nbsp;The Pole will next face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, who knocked out 2024 losing finalist Jasmine Paolini, in the last eight on Tuesday.&nbsp;Swiatek is now on a 25-match winning streak at the French Open and boasts a remarkable 39-2 win-loss record in the tournament.&nbsp;Rybakina had won both of her previous career meetings with Swiatek on clay, and the Kazakh dominated the opening set, hammering 12 winners past her bewildered opponent.&nbsp;"Well, it was tough, you know, first set I felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner," said Swiatek.&nbsp;"I needed to do something to get back in the game, but with her playing like that, I didn't feel like I had much hope."&nbsp;Rybakina broke in the first game of the second set as she threatened to run away with the match.&nbsp;But Swiatek impressively turned the set around with a run of five straight games.&nbsp;The fifth seed was one game from defeat when trailing 5-4 in the deciding set, but she managed to end Rybakina's resistance and held her nerve to serve out the match.&nbsp;Svitolina made the quarter-finals for the fifth time with a comeback 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 win over Paolini, saving three match points in a dramatic opening clash on Court Philippe Chatrier.&nbsp;The former world number three, who has never made a Grand Slam final, will be bidding to reach a first Roland Garros semi-final when she faces Swiatek.&nbsp;"I still cannot believe that this match finished my way," said Svitolina.&nbsp;World number one Aryna Sabalenka needed eight match points to wrap up a 7-5, 6-3 win over American Amanda Anisimova.&nbsp;The three-time Grand Slam champion reached her 10th successive major quarter-final, where she will face Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.&nbsp;"I want to get this win after Rome, so I'm happy to face her (Zheng) in the quarters," said Sabalenka, who lost to Zheng in the Italian Open last eight last month.&nbsp;Zheng secured a quarter-final place with a hard-fought three-set victory over 19th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova.&nbsp;The Chinese eighth seed extended her winning streak at Roland Garros to 10 matches, winning 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

French Open 2025: Alcaraz fights past USA’s Ben Shelton to reach quarters, Swiatek beats Rybakina

Carlos Alcaraz fought past American Ben Shelton in a tight four-set match to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, while Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina and keep her bid for a fourth straight title alive. Reigning champion Alcaraz clinched a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory after three hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to book a last-eight berth for a fourth straight year. Also read | French Open: Aryna Sabalenka powers into quarter-finals after dominant win over Amanda Anisimova Alcaraz will take on Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals, after the 12th seed saw off Australia's Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. "Today I fought against myself in the mind," he said. "In some moments I was mad, I was thinking not very good things. But I'm really happy that I didn't let the bad thoughts play against me... I tried to calm myself down and keep going." The four-time Grand Slam champion saved three set points in a dramatic opening-set tie-break before clinching it himself on his second. He crucially then saved six break points in a marathon first game of the second set, before going on to win it courtesy of a break in the eighth game. American 13th seed Shelton deservedly got a set on the board to extend the match, but Alcaraz quickly bounced back with an early break in the fourth. The second seed saw a match point come and go in the ninth game of the set, but he quickly brought up another one on his own serve and took the opportunity with a trademark forehand winner. Lorenzo Musetti continued his rich vein of form with an impressive 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 success against Danish 10th seed Holger Rune in the night session. The Italian eighth seed, who reached at least the semi-finals in clay-court Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, will face Frances Tiafoe in the last eight. American 15th seed Tiafoe booked a place in his first-ever French Open quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over unseeded German Daniel Altmaier. Swiatek downs Rybakina Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek, who has been struggling for her best form and has not reached a final since winning the title last year, was in serious trouble when trailing 2-0 to Rybakina in the second set. But the 24-year-old dug deep to clinch a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman to win four straight Roland Garros crowns since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. The Pole will next face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, who knocked out 2024 losing finalist Jasmine Paolini, in the last eight on Tuesday. Swiatek is now on a 25-match winning streak at the French Open and boasts a remarkable 39-2 win-loss record in the tournament. Rybakina had won both of her previous career meetings with Swiatek on clay, and the Kazakh dominated the opening set, hammering 12 winners past her bewildered opponent. "Well, it was tough, you know, first set I felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner," said Swiatek. "I needed to do something to get back in the game, but with her playing like that, I didn't feel like I had much hope." Rybakina broke in the first game of the second set as she threatened to run away with the match. But Swiatek impressively turned the set around with a run of five straight games. The fifth seed was one game from defeat when trailing 5-4 in the deciding set, but she managed to end Rybakina's resistance and held her nerve to serve out the match. Svitolina made the quarter-finals for the fifth time with a comeback 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 win over Paolini, saving three match points in a dramatic opening clash on Court Philippe Chatrier. The former world number three, who has never made a Grand Slam final, will be bidding to reach a first Roland Garros semi-final when she faces Swiatek. "I still cannot believe that this match finished my way," said Svitolina. World number one Aryna Sabalenka needed eight match points to wrap up a 7-5, 6-3 win over American Amanda Anisimova. The three-time Grand Slam champion reached her 10th successive major quarter-final, where she will face Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. "I want to get this win after Rome, so I'm happy to face her (Zheng) in the quarters," said Sabalenka, who lost to Zheng in the Italian Open last eight last month. Zheng secured a quarter-final place with a hard-fought three-set victory over 19th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova. The Chinese eighth seed extended her winning streak at Roland Garros to 10 matches, winning 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Reigning champion Alcaraz clinched a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory after three hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to book a last-eight berth for a fourth straight year.

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz stumbled his way into the last 16 of the French Open on Friday with a 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Bosnian world number 69 Damir Dzumhur. Second seed Alcaraz broke twice in each of the first two sets and seemed to be cruising, but a dogged Dzumhur refused to roll over and pinched the third set.&nbsp;The 33-year-old Dzumhur had failed to get past the first round of qualifying at Roland Garros in his last four attempts, but he broke to open the fourth set and give Alcaraz greater cause for concern.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-french-open-2025-swiatek-sabalenka-through-as-musetti-battles-into-last-16-1748624098032">French Open 2025: Swiatek, Sabalenka through as Musetti battles into last 16</a>&nbsp;Alcaraz's frustration grew when three break points slipped beyond his grasp in the very next game. He eventually got back on serve at 3-,3 though before another break put him within sight of victory. The Spaniard couldn't close it out initially but then earned a pair of match points on Dzumhur's serve, finally getting across the line at the second attempt to end his rival's spirited effort.&nbsp;"Today, I honestly didn't enjoy it that much. I suffered quite a lot," said a relieved Alcaraz.&nbsp;"That's why doing a really good result in a Grand Slam is really difficult because you have to maintain a really high level for three to four hours."&nbsp;Alcaraz said he had to dig deep after admitting his energy levels dropped after a dominant first two sets.&nbsp;"It was really difficult for me to boost myself. I had to give everything I had inside me. In the end, I'm just proud about getting the win."&nbsp;&nbsp;Four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz advances to face the US 13th seed Ben Shelton for a place in the quarter-finals after picking up his 18th win in 19 matches on clay this season.&nbsp;Australian Open semi-finalist Shelton is one of four Americans still in the men's draw. He knocked out Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante in straight sets after receiving a walkover in the second round.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Roland Garros: Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz wobbles but reaches last 16

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz stumbled his way into the last 16 of the French Open on Friday with a 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Bosnian world number 69 Damir Dzumhur. Second seed Alcaraz broke twice in each of the first two sets and seemed to be cruising, but a dogged Dzumhur refused to roll over and pinched the third set. The 33-year-old Dzumhur had failed to get past the first round of qualifying at Roland Garros in his last four attempts, but he broke to open the fourth set and give Alcaraz greater cause for concern. Also read | French Open 2025: Swiatek, Sabalenka through as Musetti battles into last 16 Alcaraz's frustration grew when three break points slipped beyond his grasp in the very next game. He eventually got back on serve at 3-,3 though before another break put him within sight of victory. The Spaniard couldn't close it out initially but then earned a pair of match points on Dzumhur's serve, finally getting across the line at the second attempt to end his rival's spirited effort. "Today, I honestly didn't enjoy it that much. I suffered quite a lot," said a relieved Alcaraz. "That's why doing a really good result in a Grand Slam is really difficult because you have to maintain a really high level for three to four hours." Alcaraz said he had to dig deep after admitting his energy levels dropped after a dominant first two sets. "It was really difficult for me to boost myself. I had to give everything I had inside me. In the end, I'm just proud about getting the win." Four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz advances to face the US 13th seed Ben Shelton for a place in the quarter-finals after picking up his 18th win in 19 matches on clay this season. Australian Open semi-finalist Shelton is one of four Americans still in the men's draw. He knocked out Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante in straight sets after receiving a walkover in the second round. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Alcaraz said he had to dig deep after admitting his energy levels dropped after a dominant first two sets.

Iga Swiatek continues her bid for a fourth straight Roland Garros crown against former US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Wednesday, with title favourites Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz also in action.&nbsp;Poland's Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman to win four consecutive French Open titles since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago.&nbsp;She arrived in Paris under a slight cloud, having not reached a WTA final since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen last year.&nbsp;But the 23-year-old, who has slipped to fifth in the world rankings, opened her campaign with a confident straight-sets win against Rebecca Sramkova.&nbsp;Next up is an opponent she knows well in Britain's Raducanu, against whom Swiatek has never even lost a set in four previous meetings.&nbsp;"We know each other's game. For sure I will need to be intense and focus on myself," said Swiatek, who boasts a 36-2 win-loss record at the French Open and also won the title in 2020.&nbsp;"But for sure, you know, she won the US Open. She can play great tennis. I'll be ready."Raducanu is playing in the tournament for the first time since her debut in 2022 and said she was struggling with illness before her first-round win over Wang Xinyu.&nbsp;She was thrashed 6-1, 6-0 the last time she met Swiatek in the Australian Open last 32 in January.&nbsp;"I think exposure to the top players is great for where I'm at for my development," Raducanu said ahead of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier.&nbsp;"It's a match where I can go out and test myself and go for my shots, because I know if I just push the ball, I'm probably going to get eaten. I need to hit the ball."&nbsp;Swiatek's slide down the WTA standings has left her in the same half of the draw as world number one Aryna Sabalenka, last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.&nbsp;Sabalenka fired a warning sign to her rivals in the first round by dismantling Russian Kamilla Rakhimova for the loss of just one game and will also be expected to make short work of Switzerland's Jil Teichmann in round two.&nbsp;The Belarusian has never reached the French Open final and is hoping to banish the memories of a painful quarter-final loss to Mirra Andreeva in 2024.&nbsp;Fourth seed Paolini, who won the Italian Open on home soil earlier this month, takes on Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic.&nbsp;Chinese star Zheng, who clinched 2024 Olympic gold at Roland Garros, plays 85th-ranked Colombian Emiliana Arango.<h2>Alcaraz ready for ‘drop-shot battle’</h2>Reigning men's champion Alcaraz takes on Fabian Marozsan of Hungary for a place in the third round on Chatrier.&nbsp;After a topsy-turvy start to the year, the four-time Grand Slam winner has hit his straps on clay, winning both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open, as well as reaching the Barcelona Open final.&nbsp;World number 56 Marozsan does have the memory of a shock clay-court win over Alcaraz -- in Rome two years ago -- to fall back on.&nbsp;"I study my opponents a little bit. I know that Fabian likes to hit drop shots," said second seed Alcaraz.&nbsp;"So probably I'll put extra focus on that. I'm going to be ready for that... It's gonna be a drop-shot battle, I guess."&nbsp;Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, twice a French Open runner-up in 2022 and 2023, goes up against Portugal's Nuno Borges on Court Suzanne Lenglen.&nbsp;Denmark's Holger Rune, the only man to beat Alcaraz on clay this year in the Barcelona final, plays American wild card Emilio Nava.&nbsp;Lorenzo Musetti, who has reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters 1000 events on clay in 2024, faces Colombian lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan.

French Open 2025: Swiatek faces Raducanu test, Alcaraz eyes third round

Iga Swiatek continues her bid for a fourth straight Roland Garros crown against former US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Wednesday, with title favourites Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz also in action. Poland's Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman to win four consecutive French Open titles since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. She arrived in Paris under a slight cloud, having not reached a WTA final since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen last year. But the 23-year-old, who has slipped to fifth in the world rankings, opened her campaign with a confident straight-sets win against Rebecca Sramkova. Next up is an opponent she knows well in Britain's Raducanu, against whom Swiatek has never even lost a set in four previous meetings. "We know each other's game. For sure I will need to be intense and focus on myself," said Swiatek, who boasts a 36-2 win-loss record at the French Open and also won the title in 2020. "But for sure, you know, she won the US Open. She can play great tennis. I'll be ready." Raducanu is playing in the tournament for the first time since her debut in 2022 and said she was struggling with illness before her first-round win over Wang Xinyu. She was thrashed 6-1, 6-0 the last time she met Swiatek in the Australian Open last 32 in January. "I think exposure to the top players is great for where I'm at for my development," Raducanu said ahead of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier. "It's a match where I can go out and test myself and go for my shots, because I know if I just push the ball, I'm probably going to get eaten. I need to hit the ball." Swiatek's slide down the WTA standings has left her in the same half of the draw as world number one Aryna Sabalenka, last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. Sabalenka fired a warning sign to her rivals in the first round by dismantling Russian Kamilla Rakhimova for the loss of just one game and will also be expected to make short work of Switzerland's Jil Teichmann in round two. The Belarusian has never reached the French Open final and is hoping to banish the memories of a painful quarter-final loss to Mirra Andreeva in 2024. Fourth seed Paolini, who won the Italian Open on home soil earlier this month, takes on Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic. Chinese star Zheng, who clinched 2024 Olympic gold at Roland Garros, plays 85th-ranked Colombian Emiliana Arango. Alcaraz ready for ‘drop-shot battle’ Reigning men's champion Alcaraz takes on Fabian Marozsan of Hungary for a place in the third round on Chatrier. After a topsy-turvy start to the year, the four-time Grand Slam winner has hit his straps on clay, winning both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open, as well as reaching the Barcelona Open final. World number 56 Marozsan does have the memory of a shock clay-court win over Alcaraz -- in Rome two years ago -- to fall back on. "I study my opponents a little bit. I know that Fabian likes to hit drop shots," said second seed Alcaraz. "So probably I'll put extra focus on that. I'm going to be ready for that... It's gonna be a drop-shot battle, I guess." Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, twice a French Open runner-up in 2022 and 2023, goes up against Portugal's Nuno Borges on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Denmark's Holger Rune, the only man to beat Alcaraz on clay this year in the Barcelona final, plays American wild card Emilio Nava. Lorenzo Musetti, who has reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters 1000 events on clay in 2024, faces Colombian lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan.

Poland's Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman to win four consecutive French Open titles since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago

Carlos Alcaraz powered into the French Open second round on Monday with a resounding win to start his title defence, while three-time defending women's champion Iga Swiatek also eased through at Roland Garros.&nbsp;Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and will face Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in round two.&nbsp;Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic.&nbsp;"The first round is never easy, and coming here as a champion is even more difficult," said the Spaniard, who has won both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open titles on clay this year.&nbsp;"But I started well, found my rhythm, and I'm happy with my start."&nbsp;Alcaraz beat world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the Rome final just over a week ago as the Italian returned from a three-month doping ban.&nbsp;Two-time reigning Australian Open champion Sinner takes centre stage in the night session against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who can expect to enjoy much of the support under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier.&nbsp;It is the first of two successive potential French opponents for Sinner, who could meet the retiring Richard Gasquet in the second round. Gasquet, 38, takes on another wild card, Terence Atmane, in his 22nd and final Roland Garros.&nbsp;"It's definitely going to be different," Sinner said of the atmosphere that awaits him in Paris after he received a warm welcome back in front of home fans in Italy.&nbsp;Taylor Fritz of the USA became the first high-profile casualty in the men's draw as the fourth seed lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to German Daniel Altmaier.&nbsp;Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open runner-up, got his bid for a first Grand Slam title underway with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over veteran Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas.<h2>Swiatek cruises through</h2>&nbsp;Swiatek entered the tournament on a near year-long trophy drought but showed signs of form in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.&nbsp;Her struggles since the last of her four French Open titles have been well documented, but she broke her 42nd-ranked opponent four times in a strong display.&nbsp;The five-time Grand Slam champion's remarkable win-loss record in the tournament now stands at 36-2.&nbsp;"I knew I needed to stay proactive and try to use my weapons. I'm happy with my performance, and it was a solid match," said Swiatek, who also beat Sramkova in the second round of this year's Australian Open.&nbsp;&nbsp;Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, will next face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu after the Briton defeated China's Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.&nbsp;Raducanu is playing at the French Open for the first time since a second-round exit on her debut in 2022.&nbsp;Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who had a match point against Swiatek in the second round at Roland Garros a year ago, was knocked out by Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa in a tense three-set battle.&nbsp;Badosa, an Australian Open semi-finalist earlier this year, fought back from a set down to win 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4.&nbsp;Osaka has still never got past the third round at Roland Garros.&nbsp;Former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina battled past Argentinian qualifier Julia Riera 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, two days after lifting her first WTA title since April 2024 in Strasbourg.&nbsp;American ninth seed Emma Navarro suffered an embarrassing 6-0, 6-1 loss to Spanish world number 68 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in just 57 minutes, only winning a game when her opponent double-faulted to gift her a break when serving for a double-bagel victory.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Roland Garros Carlos Alcaraz powers into second round with resounding win Iga Swiatek eases through

Carlos Alcaraz powered into the French Open second round on Monday with a resounding win to start his title defence, while three-time defending women's champion Iga Swiatek also eased through at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and will face Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. "The first round is never easy, and coming here as a champion is even more difficult," said the Spaniard, who has won both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open titles on clay this year. "But I started well, found my rhythm, and I'm happy with my start." Alcaraz beat world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the Rome final just over a week ago as the Italian returned from a three-month doping ban. Two-time reigning Australian Open champion Sinner takes centre stage in the night session against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who can expect to enjoy much of the support under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier. It is the first of two successive potential French opponents for Sinner, who could meet the retiring Richard Gasquet in the second round. Gasquet, 38, takes on another wild card, Terence Atmane, in his 22nd and final Roland Garros. "It's definitely going to be different," Sinner said of the atmosphere that awaits him in Paris after he received a warm welcome back in front of home fans in Italy. Taylor Fritz of the USA became the first high-profile casualty in the men's draw as the fourth seed lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to German Daniel Altmaier. Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open runner-up, got his bid for a first Grand Slam title underway with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over veteran Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Swiatek cruises through Swiatek entered the tournament on a near year-long trophy drought but showed signs of form in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova. Her struggles since the last of her four French Open titles have been well documented, but she broke her 42nd-ranked opponent four times in a strong display. The five-time Grand Slam champion's remarkable win-loss record in the tournament now stands at 36-2. "I knew I needed to stay proactive and try to use my weapons. I'm happy with my performance, and it was a solid match," said Swiatek, who also beat Sramkova in the second round of this year's Australian Open. Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, will next face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu after the Briton defeated China's Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Raducanu is playing at the French Open for the first time since a second-round exit on her debut in 2022. Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who had a match point against Swiatek in the second round at Roland Garros a year ago, was knocked out by Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa in a tense three-set battle. Badosa, an Australian Open semi-finalist earlier this year, fought back from a set down to win 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4. Osaka has still never got past the third round at Roland Garros. Former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina battled past Argentinian qualifier Julia Riera 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, two days after lifting her first WTA title since April 2024 in Strasbourg. American ninth seed Emma Navarro suffered an embarrassing 6-0, 6-1 loss to Spanish world number 68 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in just 57 minutes, only winning a game when her opponent double-faulted to gift her a break when serving for a double-bagel victory. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and will face Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in round two.

Roland Garros: Alcaraz powers into second round with resounding win, Swiatek eases through

Title rivals Carlos Alcaraz&nbsp;and Jannik Sinner start their French Open campaigns on Monday as three-time reigning champion Iga Swiatek hopes a return to Roland Garros can shake her out of a slump.&nbsp;Alcaraz beat Sinner in straight sets in the Italian Open final just over a week ago as the Italian world number one returned from a three-month doping ban.&nbsp;The Spaniard edged Sinner in five sets in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year and believes the two-time reigning Australian Open champion will pose an even greater threat to his crown in Paris after brushing off the cobwebs in Rome.&nbsp;"The level he has played in (Rome) is insane after three months without playing, without any tournament," said Alcaraz. "I'm pretty sure he's going to be better and better.&nbsp;"If he's winning in Roland Garros and he's going farther, I think much better he's going to feel. He's going to be a really dangerous player in Paris."&nbsp;First up for Alcaraz though is Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri, who replaced the injured Kei Nishikori in the draw.&nbsp;Sinner takes centre stage in the night session against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who can expect to enjoy much of the support under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier.&nbsp;It is the first of two successive potential French opponents for Sinner, who could meet the retiring Richard Gasquet in the second round. Gasquet, 38, takes on another wild card, Terence Atmane, in his 22nd and final Roland Garros.&nbsp;"It's definitely going to be different," Sinner said of the atmosphere that awaits in Paris after he received a warm welcome back in front of home fans in Italy.&nbsp;"It was great after three months coming back making the final. It was my first big final on clay, which is not to underrate, because we worked a lot for that."&nbsp;But he warned against expecting too much at the French Open. "There are no miracles. I need some time. Matches are different than practice sessions," said Sinner.&nbsp;&nbsp;“There is a lot of room to improve.” Sinner served a suspension for testing positive twice in March last year for traces of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. Doping authorities accepted that it was the result of an accidental contamination involving his physio.<h2>Swiatek reign under threat</h2>Swiatek, like her idol Rafael Nadal, has proved almost untouchable at Roland Garros, where she holds a 35-2 win-loss record in six trips.&nbsp;But her struggles since the last of her four French Open titles is well documented and the Pole has gone almost a year without a trophy.&nbsp;She has dropped to fifth in the world ranking and has lost her aura of invincibility on the red dirt. However, her early exit from the Italian Open earlier this month has provided Swiatek more time to prepare for Paris and she said she has used that time well.&nbsp;"You know, right now, I felt like I had the most peaceful time to practice since the beginning of the season," Swiatek told AFP last week.&nbsp;"It has been going great. And on a practice court, I feel really good. We were working on some details in my serve and my forehand. But overall, you know, it looks great. I just need to implement that during the matches."&nbsp;Swiatek kicks off her title defence against Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova. Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who had a match point against Swiatek in the second round at Roland Garros a year ago, has a tough opening match against 10th seed Paula Badosa.&nbsp;Australian Open champion Madison Keys plays Australian qualifier Daria Saville in round one. Former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina also plays a qualifier in Argentina's Julia Riera.&nbsp;Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, is drawn against Britain's Jacob Fearnley, while two-time runner-up Casper Ruud faces Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas.&nbsp;Holger Rune, the only man to beat Alcaraz on clay this year, goes up against Roberto Bautista Agut. Fourth seed Taylor Fritz and 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in action.&nbsp;Emma Raducanu is set for her first Roland Garros appearance since her 2022 debut, taking on China's Wang Xinyu.

Alcaraz, Sinner launch French Open bids as Swiatek seeks lift

Title rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner start their French Open campaigns on Monday as three-time reigning champion Iga Swiatek hopes a return to Roland Garros can shake her out of a slump. Alcaraz beat Sinner in straight sets in the Italian Open final just over a week ago as the Italian world number one returned from a three-month doping ban. The Spaniard edged Sinner in five sets in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year and believes the two-time reigning Australian Open champion will pose an even greater threat to his crown in Paris after brushing off the cobwebs in Rome. "The level he has played in (Rome) is insane after three months without playing, without any tournament," said Alcaraz. "I'm pretty sure he's going to be better and better. "If he's winning in Roland Garros and he's going farther, I think much better he's going to feel. He's going to be a really dangerous player in Paris." First up for Alcaraz though is Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri, who replaced the injured Kei Nishikori in the draw. Sinner takes centre stage in the night session against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who can expect to enjoy much of the support under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier. It is the first of two successive potential French opponents for Sinner, who could meet the retiring Richard Gasquet in the second round. Gasquet, 38, takes on another wild card, Terence Atmane, in his 22nd and final Roland Garros. "It's definitely going to be different," Sinner said of the atmosphere that awaits in Paris after he received a warm welcome back in front of home fans in Italy. "It was great after three months coming back making the final. It was my first big final on clay, which is not to underrate, because we worked a lot for that." But he warned against expecting too much at the French Open. "There are no miracles. I need some time. Matches are different than practice sessions," said Sinner. “There is a lot of room to improve.” Sinner served a suspension for testing positive twice in March last year for traces of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. Doping authorities accepted that it was the result of an accidental contamination involving his physio. Swiatek reign under threat Swiatek, like her idol Rafael Nadal, has proved almost untouchable at Roland Garros, where she holds a 35-2 win-loss record in six trips. But her struggles since the last of her four French Open titles is well documented and the Pole has gone almost a year without a trophy. She has dropped to fifth in the world ranking and has lost her aura of invincibility on the red dirt. However, her early exit from the Italian Open earlier this month has provided Swiatek more time to prepare for Paris and she said she has used that time well. "You know, right now, I felt like I had the most peaceful time to practice since the beginning of the season," Swiatek told AFP last week. "It has been going great. And on a practice court, I feel really good. We were working on some details in my serve and my forehand. But overall, you know, it looks great. I just need to implement that during the matches." Swiatek kicks off her title defence against Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova. Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who had a match point against Swiatek in the second round at Roland Garros a year ago, has a tough opening match against 10th seed Paula Badosa. Australian Open champion Madison Keys plays Australian qualifier Daria Saville in round one. Former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina also plays a qualifier in Argentina's Julia Riera. Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, is drawn against Britain's Jacob Fearnley, while two-time runner-up Casper Ruud faces Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Holger Rune, the only man to beat Alcaraz on clay this year, goes up against Roberto Bautista Agut. Fourth seed Taylor Fritz and 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in action. Emma Raducanu is set for her first Roland Garros appearance since her 2022 debut, taking on China's Wang Xinyu.

Alcaraz beat Sinner in straight sets in the Italian Open final just over a week ago as the Italian world number one returned from a three-month doping ban

Carlos Alcaraz set up a potential blockbuster Italian Open final with Jannik Sinner after coming through Friday's semi-final with home hope Lorenzo Musetti a straight-sets winner, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz overcame Musetti and windy conditions in just over two hours to reach his fourth final of the season ahead of the French Open which gets underway later this month.
Alcaraz now awaits the result of Sinner's last-four clash with Tommy Paul later on Friday to see if he will get the showdown tennis fans around the world want to see.
World number one Sinner is red-hot favourite to beat American Paul after dumping out Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud on Thursday with an astonishing display of tennis.
"Both players are playing great. Everybody saw the game against Casper," said Alcaraz, who might again have to face down a partisan centre court crowd on Sunday.
"Let's see. If I'm going to play against Tommy Paul, I have to be ready for that. If I play against Jannick, I have to be ready for that battle, and obviously deal with the crowd."
Musetti was beaten by Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final last month and fell to his fifth straight defeat to the Spaniard after a frustrating display.
The 23-year-old gave up three breaks of serve and made 29 unforced errors in the first set, and he was warned by umpire Renaud Lichtenstein after slamming his racket into the clay as his gave up his serve to go a set behind.
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Musetti outbursts</h2>
Alcaraz gave Musetti an opening when he fired long at break point in the first game of the second set, before the Italian then did the exact same thing in the next game to level it up.
But Musetti fought back with another break of Alcaraz's serve and then held his with more disciplined tennis to go to 4-3 in the set, even drawing applause from Alcaraz for one spectacular backhand volley he plucked out of the sky.
But Alcaraz broke back in game eight to level the set, sparking a furious reaction from Musetti who was punished with a point for the following game for smashing the ball into the stands.
Alcaraz served that game to love as Musetti continued to fume, and he ended the crowd's hopes of an all-Italian final by coming through the decisive tie-break.
Earlier, Jasmine Paolini continued her bid to win the women's singles and doubles titles in Rome after reaching her second final of the week, this time alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani.
Reigning doubles champions Paolini and Errani easily beat Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4 to book a second straight final in front of delighted fans at the Foro Italico.
The pair will meet either Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens or Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez in the final on Sunday, before which Paolini could already be crowed singles champion.
Late bloomer Paolini takes on Coco Gauff on Saturday aiming for her second 1000 series title at the age of 29 and to become the first Italian women to win in Rome since Raffaella Reggi in 1985.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame Musetti and windy conditions in just over two hours to reach his fourth final of the season ahead of the French Open. Tennis | Sports

Carlos Alcaraz set up a potential blockbuster Italian Open final with Jannik Sinner after coming through Friday's semi-final with home hope Lorenzo Musetti a straight-sets winner, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz overcame Musetti and windy conditions in just over two hours to reach his fourth final of the season ahead of the French Open which gets underway later this month. Alcaraz now awaits the result of Sinner's last-four clash with Tommy Paul later on Friday to see if he will get the showdown tennis fans around the world want to see. World number one Sinner is red-hot favourite to beat American Paul after dumping out Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud on Thursday with an astonishing display of tennis. "Both players are playing great. Everybody saw the game against Casper," said Alcaraz, who might again have to face down a partisan centre court crowd on Sunday. "Let's see. If I'm going to play against Tommy Paul, I have to be ready for that. If I play against Jannick, I have to be ready for that battle, and obviously deal with the crowd." Musetti was beaten by Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final last month and fell to his fifth straight defeat to the Spaniard after a frustrating display. The 23-year-old gave up three breaks of serve and made 29 unforced errors in the first set, and he was warned by umpire Renaud Lichtenstein after slamming his racket into the clay as his gave up his serve to go a set behind. ALSO READ | Misery mounts for Delhi Capitals as star overseas players continue to opt out of IPL 2025 Musetti outbursts Alcaraz gave Musetti an opening when he fired long at break point in the first game of the second set, before the Italian then did the exact same thing in the next game to level it up. But Musetti fought back with another break of Alcaraz's serve and then held his with more disciplined tennis to go to 4-3 in the set, even drawing applause from Alcaraz for one spectacular backhand volley he plucked out of the sky. But Alcaraz broke back in game eight to level the set, sparking a furious reaction from Musetti who was punished with a point for the following game for smashing the ball into the stands. Alcaraz served that game to love as Musetti continued to fume, and he ended the crowd's hopes of an all-Italian final by coming through the decisive tie-break. Earlier, Jasmine Paolini continued her bid to win the women's singles and doubles titles in Rome after reaching her second final of the week, this time alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani. Reigning doubles champions Paolini and Errani easily beat Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4 to book a second straight final in front of delighted fans at the Foro Italico. The pair will meet either Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens or Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez in the final on Sunday, before which Paolini could already be crowed singles champion. Late bloomer Paolini takes on Coco Gauff on Saturday aiming for her second 1000 series title at the age of 29 and to become the first Italian women to win in Rome since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Italian Open: Carlos Alcaraz reaches final as potential Jannik Sinner clash awaits

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz" rel="dofollow">Carlos Alcaraz</a> is feeling good about his&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;after striding into the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jack-draper">Jack Draper</a>, which he called one of his best displays of the season so far.
Third seed Alcaraz will face one of reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev and home hope Lorenzo Musetti, the day's final pairing on centre court, in the last four at the Foro Italico.
His impressive win over Draper kept alive his chances of a third title of the season and also moved him up to number two in the world rankings behind Jannik Sinner.
The Spaniard also bagged a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month, but in the meantime the four-time Grand Slam winner continues his bid for a first Rome crown.
"I think I started pretty well and I ended the match pretty well as well," said Alcaraz.&nbsp;"I lost focus a little bit in the second set but it wasn't (for) too long, so it was pretty good. Probably it was one of the most complete matches that I played this year."
Alcaraz had to be at his best to down fifth seed Draper, who put in another strong showing on clay in Italy after losing the Madrid Open final to Casper Ruud.
Draper was trying to become the first British man to reach the last four in the Italian capital since 2016, when Andy Murray was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the final.
But he lost control of the first set when after taking a two-game lead he was broken twice by Alcaraz who then took the lead in the match.
And Alcaraz made sure of victory by saving two break points in a 10-minute game eight of the second set, before breaking Draper to love to go 5-4 ahead in the set and then serve out the match at the first time of asking.
Ruud's attempt at a Madrid and Rome double has a Sinner-shaped obstacle in its way after the world number seven won his postponed match with Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4.
Sixth seed Ruud was supposed to play on Tuesday but an afternoon downpour forced his match to be moved back a day, and he convincingly secured a quarter-final date with Sinner.
"It was a little bit tough, you're waiting all day yesterday to try to play and you don't get on... I'm proud of the way I handled it," said Ruud, who has won more matches on clay than any other player on the men's tour in the last five years.
"Tomorrow will be one of toughest matches of the year, probably. I got beaten pretty bad by Jannik last time in Turin (at the ATP Finals)... Let's see, he's been looking good since the first match."
<h2>Gauff eases through</h2>
Earlier, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/coco-gauff">Coco Gauff</a> marched into the women's semis by beating <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mirra-andreeva" rel="dofollow">Mirra Andreeva</a> in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).&nbsp;American Gauff has guaranteed herself number two in the women's world rankings with her solid displays in Rome, where she saw off seventh seed Andreeva on centre court.
Former US Open winner Gauff said that she had "a lot of confidence" for the last four, where she could face tournament favourite Aryna Sabalenka with the world number one taking on Zheng Qinwen later on Wednesday.
"Maybe some points weren't my best. I still managed to be successful," said Gauff.
Gauff, 21, is looking for her first title of the season ahead of Roland Garros, after losing the Madrid final to Sabalenka.
Indian Wells champion Andreeva, at 18 years old the youngest woman to reach the last eight at the Foro Italico since Gauff in 2021, put up surprisingly little resistance in a low-key first set.
And Gauff had too much for her in the second, quickly responding to each of Andreeva's breaks of serve before coming through a tricky tie-break.
Gauff and her doubles partner Alexandra Eala then lost their quarter-final against title holders Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, the Italians prevailing 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis, Sports: Third seed Alcaraz will face Alexander Zverev and home hope Lorenzo Musetti, the day's final pairing on centre court, in the last four at the Foro Italico

Carlos Alcaraz is feeling good about his tennis after striding into the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jack Draper, which he called one of his best displays of the season so far. Third seed Alcaraz will face one of reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev and home hope Lorenzo Musetti, the day's final pairing on centre court, in the last four at the Foro Italico. His impressive win over Draper kept alive his chances of a third title of the season and also moved him up to number two in the world rankings behind Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard also bagged a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month, but in the meantime the four-time Grand Slam winner continues his bid for a first Rome crown. "I think I started pretty well and I ended the match pretty well as well," said Alcaraz. "I lost focus a little bit in the second set but it wasn't (for) too long, so it was pretty good. Probably it was one of the most complete matches that I played this year." Alcaraz had to be at his best to down fifth seed Draper, who put in another strong showing on clay in Italy after losing the Madrid Open final to Casper Ruud. Draper was trying to become the first British man to reach the last four in the Italian capital since 2016, when Andy Murray was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the final. But he lost control of the first set when after taking a two-game lead he was broken twice by Alcaraz who then took the lead in the match. And Alcaraz made sure of victory by saving two break points in a 10-minute game eight of the second set, before breaking Draper to love to go 5-4 ahead in the set and then serve out the match at the first time of asking. Ruud's attempt at a Madrid and Rome double has a Sinner-shaped obstacle in its way after the world number seven won his postponed match with Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4. Sixth seed Ruud was supposed to play on Tuesday but an afternoon downpour forced his match to be moved back a day, and he convincingly secured a quarter-final date with Sinner. "It was a little bit tough, you're waiting all day yesterday to try to play and you don't get on... I'm proud of the way I handled it," said Ruud, who has won more matches on clay than any other player on the men's tour in the last five years. "Tomorrow will be one of toughest matches of the year, probably. I got beaten pretty bad by Jannik last time in Turin (at the ATP Finals)... Let's see, he's been looking good since the first match." Gauff eases through Earlier, Coco Gauff marched into the women's semis by beating Mirra Andreeva in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5). American Gauff has guaranteed herself number two in the women's world rankings with her solid displays in Rome, where she saw off seventh seed Andreeva on centre court. Former US Open winner Gauff said that she had "a lot of confidence" for the last four, where she could face tournament favourite Aryna Sabalenka with the world number one taking on Zheng Qinwen later on Wednesday. "Maybe some points weren't my best. I still managed to be successful," said Gauff. Gauff, 21, is looking for her first title of the season ahead of Roland Garros, after losing the Madrid final to Sabalenka. Indian Wells champion Andreeva, at 18 years old the youngest woman to reach the last eight at the Foro Italico since Gauff in 2021, put up surprisingly little resistance in a low-key first set. And Gauff had too much for her in the second, quickly responding to each of Andreeva's breaks of serve before coming through a tricky tie-break. Gauff and her doubles partner Alexandra Eala then lost their quarter-final against title holders Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, the Italians prevailing 7-5, 3-6, 10-7. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Carlos Alcaraz sweeps past Draper and into Italian Open semis

Brazil is leading the charge in reviving the global chocolate industry, which is facing a severe supply shortage and rising prices.&nbsp;
Moises Schmidt, a cocoa grower and entrepreneur in Bahia state, is leading the development of what could become the world&rsquo;s largest cocoa farm. &nbsp;&nbsp;
He has secured preliminary backing from major cocoa traders and chocolate manufacturers. &nbsp;&nbsp;
&lsquo;We started producing cocoa looking for an alternative that would add to the fruit production that the group already wanted. However, at that time cocoa production needed shade and we began to understand a little the dynamics and the technical issues of cocoa. We began to identify that cocoa in full sun had a better response, the tree grew faster. It started producing fruit much earlier, producing more,&rsquo; Schmidt said while speaking to Reuters.&nbsp;
<h2>Cocoa crisis hits global chocolate supply&nbsp;</h2>
The project comes at a critical time&mdash;cocoa production in West Africa, which supplies 70 per cent of the world&rsquo;s beans, is stagnating. &nbsp;Meanwhile, global demand for chocolate continues to rise, creating urgent pressure to find new, high-yield sources of cocoa.&nbsp;
&lsquo;In Brazil, today, we've reached the conclusion that if you want to reach a production above 1,6 million tons of cocoa, you need at least 500 thousand hectares of cocoa plantations in non-traditional areas, like the ones you are seeing here. This production, in my point of view, will only cover a drop of the production of countries in Africa that are stagnating at the moment,&rsquo; he said.&nbsp;
The implications of this megafarm are significant. &nbsp;If successful, it would not only make Brazil a key player in the global cocoa market but also set a new benchmark for sustainable, high-efficiency cocoa production. &nbsp;&nbsp;
With global chocolate makers seeking reliable supply chains amid mounting climate and disease pressures in West Africa, this project could reshape where&mdash;and how&mdash;cocoa is grown.&nbsp;

Tennis | World | Sports: Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam winner, sustained the problem during his Barcelona Open final defeat last Sunday by Holger Rune.

Brazil is leading the charge in reviving the global chocolate industry, which is facing a severe supply shortage and rising prices. Moises Schmidt, a cocoa grower and entrepreneur in Bahia state, is leading the development of what could become the world’s largest cocoa farm. He has secured preliminary backing from major cocoa traders and chocolate manufacturers. ‘We started producing cocoa looking for an alternative that would add to the fruit production that the group already wanted. However, at that time cocoa production needed shade and we began to understand a little the dynamics and the technical issues of cocoa. We began to identify that cocoa in full sun had a better response, the tree grew faster. It started producing fruit much earlier, producing more,’ Schmidt said while speaking to Reuters. Cocoa crisis hits global chocolate supply The project comes at a critical time—cocoa production in West Africa, which supplies 70 per cent of the world’s beans, is stagnating. Meanwhile, global demand for chocolate continues to rise, creating urgent pressure to find new, high-yield sources of cocoa. ‘In Brazil, today, we've reached the conclusion that if you want to reach a production above 1,6 million tons of cocoa, you need at least 500 thousand hectares of cocoa plantations in non-traditional areas, like the ones you are seeing here. This production, in my point of view, will only cover a drop of the production of countries in Africa that are stagnating at the moment,’ he said. The implications of this megafarm are significant. If successful, it would not only make Brazil a key player in the global cocoa market but also set a new benchmark for sustainable, high-efficiency cocoa production. With global chocolate makers seeking reliable supply chains amid mounting climate and disease pressures in West Africa, this project could reshape where—and how—cocoa is grown.

Carlos Alcaraz dealt injury blow ahead of French Open, withdraws from Madrid Open due to thigh issue

World number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> cruised into the Stuttgart Open semi-finals on Saturday while two-time champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/iga-swiatek">Iga Swiatek</a> lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in as many meetings.
Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory.&nbsp;Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini.
"Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game."
"I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added.
There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down.&nbsp;Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side.
"When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley.
Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month.
A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart.&nbsp; Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions.&nbsp;Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay.&nbsp;
Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set.&nbsp;
The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory.&nbsp;
Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday.&nbsp;Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4.
Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16.&nbsp;
After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on.&nbsp;
<h2>Alcaraz to face Rune in Barcelona Open final</h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz</a> cruised into his third Barcelona Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fils on a breezy Saturday and will face Holger Rune, who demolished Karen Khachanov.&nbsp;
Eight days earlier, in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Frenchman Fils had won the first set and forced Alcaraz to fight for victory.&nbsp;On Saturday, the Spaniard took control from the start, breaking serve in the third and fifth games of the opening set as Fils struggled with the swirling conditions.
"I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win.
Alcaraz broke again in the third game of the second set and only stuttered when he squandered his first two match points with a double fault and a wild drive, before clinching victory.
After winning in Monte Carlo last week, Alcaraz remains perfect on clay this season. He has not lost in Barcelona since 2021. He won the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year's event with an arm injury.&nbsp;
"Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said.
Earlier, world number 13 Rune outclassed Khachanov 6-3, 6-2.&nbsp; The 21-year-old Dane did not face a break point in the first set, but broke to love in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth.&nbsp;Khachanov, ranked 27th, suffered another break in the second game of the second set, with Rune consolidating for a 3-0 lead.
<h2 class="txt-title">Zverev sets up birthday bash with Shelton in Munich</h2>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/alexander-zverev">Alexander Zverev</a> will face Ben Shelton in the Munich ATP final on his 28th birthday, after a straight-sets win over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Saturday.
Zverev, the top seed on home soil in Munich, won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, as he targets a third title at a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018.
"It was a pretty good match. I felt calmer on the court, only had a weak game in the first set," said the third-ranked Zverev.&nbsp;"The entire week has been amazing... and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow."
The final is the 38th of Zverev's career and first since he lost to Jannik Sinner at the&nbsp;Australian Open&nbsp;in January.&nbsp;Zverev broke early in the opening set to run out to a 2-0 lead, but was broken back on the way to a tie-break, which the German dominated.
Marozsan fought hard but was pushed into repeated errors by Zverev, who increasingly had the home fans on his side.&nbsp;The 77th-ranked Marozsan fought off two match points but could not do so a third time, allowing Zverev to reach Sunday's final.&nbsp;
Earlier on Saturday, American world number 15 Shelton came from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.&nbsp;Outclassed in the opening set, the 22-year-old American's fightback began in the second with an early break.&nbsp;
Cerundolo, ranked 22nd in the world, hit back to force a tie-break, but Shelton won it to level the match.&nbsp; The players exchanged breaks to open the third set before Shelton broke again in the last game to pinch victory and reach the fourth ATP final of his career.&nbsp;
Shelton said after the match he was still working to improve on clay.&nbsp; "Not everything is straightforward and perfect on the clay. You're gonna get broken more... but you can also break more," said Shelton.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.
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Tennis, Sports: Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens

World number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the Stuttgart Open semi-finals on Saturday while two-time champion Iga Swiatek lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in as many meetings. Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini. "Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game." "I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added. There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down. Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side. "When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley. Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month. A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart. Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions. Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay. Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set. The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory. Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday. Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16. After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on. Alcaraz to face Rune in Barcelona Open final Carlos Alcaraz cruised into his third Barcelona Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fils on a breezy Saturday and will face Holger Rune, who demolished Karen Khachanov. Eight days earlier, in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Frenchman Fils had won the first set and forced Alcaraz to fight for victory. On Saturday, the Spaniard took control from the start, breaking serve in the third and fifth games of the opening set as Fils struggled with the swirling conditions. "I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win. Alcaraz broke again in the third game of the second set and only stuttered when he squandered his first two match points with a double fault and a wild drive, before clinching victory. After winning in Monte Carlo last week, Alcaraz remains perfect on clay this season. He has not lost in Barcelona since 2021. He won the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year's event with an arm injury. "Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said. Earlier, world number 13 Rune outclassed Khachanov 6-3, 6-2. The 21-year-old Dane did not face a break point in the first set, but broke to love in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth. Khachanov, ranked 27th, suffered another break in the second game of the second set, with Rune consolidating for a 3-0 lead. Zverev sets up birthday bash with Shelton in Munich Alexander Zverev will face Ben Shelton in the Munich ATP final on his 28th birthday, after a straight-sets win over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Saturday. Zverev, the top seed on home soil in Munich, won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, as he targets a third title at a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018. "It was a pretty good match. I felt calmer on the court, only had a weak game in the first set," said the third-ranked Zverev. "The entire week has been amazing... and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow." The final is the 38th of Zverev's career and first since he lost to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open in January. Zverev broke early in the opening set to run out to a 2-0 lead, but was broken back on the way to a tie-break, which the German dominated. Marozsan fought hard but was pushed into repeated errors by Zverev, who increasingly had the home fans on his side. The 77th-ranked Marozsan fought off two match points but could not do so a third time, allowing Zverev to reach Sunday's final. Earlier on Saturday, American world number 15 Shelton came from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4. Outclassed in the opening set, the 22-year-old American's fightback began in the second with an early break. Cerundolo, ranked 22nd in the world, hit back to force a tie-break, but Shelton won it to level the match. The players exchanged breaks to open the third set before Shelton broke again in the last game to pinch victory and reach the fourth ATP final of his career. Shelton said after the match he was still working to improve on clay. "Not everything is straightforward and perfect on the clay. You're gonna get broken more... but you can also break more," said Shelton. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches Stuttgart semis as Ostapenko extends Swiatek mastery

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz" rel="dofollow">Carlos Alcaraz</a> overcame a second-set wobble to defeat Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday and reach the Barcelona Open quarter-finals. The world number two stepped up a gear from his first-round win over Ethan Quinn to dispatch his 80th-ranked opponent on the Catalan clay as he prepares for his French Open title defence.<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, has had an inconsistent start to the year and, in March, fell at the first hurdle in the Miami Open.<o:p></o:p>
Home favourite Alcaraz saved both break points he faced in a first-set stroll, with Djere unable to produce a single winner, to the Spaniard's eight.<o:p></o:p>
The four-time Grand Slam winner won five games straight to claim a 5-1 first-set lead and sealed it with his second set point.<o:p></o:p>
In the second set, Djere offered more of a fight and even broke for a 4-2 lead, but Alcaraz bounced back quickly.<o:p></o:p>
Djere could not handle the Spaniard in full flow and crumbled away as Alcaraz won the final four games to triumph, sealing his win when the Serb pushed a shot into the net.<o:p></o:p>
"After going 4-2 down in the second, I played a bit more like what my level is," said Alcaraz. "I am very happy that I could step up my level, and seem more like my best, and I want to continue."<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz will face world number seven Alex de Minaur or Briton Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday.<o:p></o:p>
Earlier, in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated world number eight Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-4.<o:p></o:p>
The Spaniard, ranked 30th, had never beaten the Russian before but triumphed at the sixth time of asking in straight sets.<o:p></o:p>
Monte Carlo Masters semi-finalist Davidovich Fokina broke three times in a topsy-turvy first set, with Rublev twice reacting before the Malaga native held to love in the 12th game.<o:p></o:p>
Rublev went a break down in the first game of the second set, but despite securing one of his own for 2-2, he was once again broken as Davidovich Fokina took a 5-4 lead and then served out for the match, again to love.<o:p></o:p>
Spain's Jaume Munar came up short against Karen Khachanov, who also won 7-5, 6-4, and will face Davidovich Fokina in the next round.<o:p></o:p>
The Russian, who trains in Barcelona, only converted four of 15 break points but eventually put the battling Munar to bed.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Alcaraz, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters, has had an inconsistent start to the year and, in March, fell at the first hurdle in the Miami Open. Sports, Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second-set wobble to defeat Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday and reach the Barcelona Open quarter-finals. The world number two stepped up a gear from his first-round win over Ethan Quinn to dispatch his 80th-ranked opponent on the Catalan clay as he prepares for his French Open title defence. Alcaraz, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, has had an inconsistent start to the year and, in March, fell at the first hurdle in the Miami Open. Home favourite Alcaraz saved both break points he faced in a first-set stroll, with Djere unable to produce a single winner, to the Spaniard's eight. The four-time Grand Slam winner won five games straight to claim a 5-1 first-set lead and sealed it with his second set point. In the second set, Djere offered more of a fight and even broke for a 4-2 lead, but Alcaraz bounced back quickly. Djere could not handle the Spaniard in full flow and crumbled away as Alcaraz won the final four games to triumph, sealing his win when the Serb pushed a shot into the net. "After going 4-2 down in the second, I played a bit more like what my level is," said Alcaraz. "I am very happy that I could step up my level, and seem more like my best, and I want to continue." Alcaraz will face world number seven Alex de Minaur or Briton Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday. Earlier, in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated world number eight Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-4. The Spaniard, ranked 30th, had never beaten the Russian before but triumphed at the sixth time of asking in straight sets. Monte Carlo Masters semi-finalist Davidovich Fokina broke three times in a topsy-turvy first set, with Rublev twice reacting before the Malaga native held to love in the 12th game. Rublev went a break down in the first game of the second set, but despite securing one of his own for 2-2, he was once again broken as Davidovich Fokina took a 5-4 lead and then served out for the match, again to love. Spain's Jaume Munar came up short against Karen Khachanov, who also won 7-5, 6-4, and will face Davidovich Fokina in the next round. The Russian, who trains in Barcelona, only converted four of 15 break points but eventually put the battling Munar to bed. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

No stopping Alcaraz! Spaniard overcomes second-set wobble to reach Barcelona Open QF

The French Open 2025, year's second tennis grand slam, is just about a month away and the organisers have announced the entry list of men's and women's players set to take part. The tournament, which will run from May 19 to June 8, will see 104 women's tennis players and almost similar number of men's players as well.
<h2>Women's Singles</h2>
Among the 104 players in women's draw, the spotlight will be on defending champion and four-time winner Iga Swiatek as she aims for fifth Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, Along with her is world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka who finished in quarterfinal last year. Sabalenka had a good 2024 when she defended her Australian Open crown and won the maiden US Open as well.
Four players have used protected rankings for get a place in French Open 2025 draw. They are Petra Kvitova who missed last year's event, Jodie Burrage who has never played in main draw at Roland Garros, Yanina Wickmayer and Sorana Cirstea. Apart from the, eight wildcards will also be offered later to complete the main draw.&nbsp;
<a href="https://fft-rg-commun-news.cdn.prismic.io/fft-rg-commun-news/Z_5wnevxEdbNPE3X_RGMDWomen2025.pdf">Check the full player list of French Open 2025 women's singles draw</a>
<h2>Men's Singles</h2>
The men's singles has several big names including last year's champion Carlos Alcaraz - also touted as the successor of clay king Rafael Nadal. 2025 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, last year's finalist Alexander Zverev and one of the all-time greats Novak Djokovic as he searches for the elusive 25th grand slam title.
The players who have used protected rankings are - Reilly Opelka, Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Ofner, and Emil Ruusuvuori.&nbsp;
<a href="https://fft-rg-commun-news.cdn.prismic.io/fft-rg-commun-news/Z_5wnOvxEdbNPE3V_RGMDMen2025.pdf">Check the full player list of French Open 2025 men's singles draw</a>
<h2>What is protected ranking in tennis?</h2>
If a player is out of the game due to injury or maternity leave, their ranking, when they go out of the game, stays intact for a period of time even through they real time ranking goes down. They can use this intact ranking to make a comeback in tournaments. &nbsp;

French Open 2025, which will run from May 19 to June 8, will see 104 women's tennis players and almost similar number of men's players as well. Tennis Sports World

The French Open 2025, year's second tennis grand slam, is just about a month away and the organisers have announced the entry list of men's and women's players set to take part. The tournament, which will run from May 19 to June 8, will see 104 women's tennis players and almost similar number of men's players as well. Women's Singles Among the 104 players in women's draw, the spotlight will be on defending champion and four-time winner Iga Swiatek as she aims for fifth Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, Along with her is world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka who finished in quarterfinal last year. Sabalenka had a good 2024 when she defended her Australian Open crown and won the maiden US Open as well. Four players have used protected rankings for get a place in French Open 2025 draw. They are Petra Kvitova who missed last year's event, Jodie Burrage who has never played in main draw at Roland Garros, Yanina Wickmayer and Sorana Cirstea. Apart from the, eight wildcards will also be offered later to complete the main draw. Check the full player list of French Open 2025 women's singles draw Men's Singles The men's singles has several big names including last year's champion Carlos Alcaraz - also touted as the successor of clay king Rafael Nadal. 2025 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, last year's finalist Alexander Zverev and one of the all-time greats Novak Djokovic as he searches for the elusive 25th grand slam title. The players who have used protected rankings are - Reilly Opelka, Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Ofner, and Emil Ruusuvuori. Check the full player list of French Open 2025 men's singles draw What is protected ranking in tennis? If a player is out of the game due to injury or maternity leave, their ranking, when they go out of the game, stays intact for a period of time even through they real time ranking goes down. They can use this intact ranking to make a comeback in tournaments.

French Open 2025: Men's and women's singles players list announced. Check details

Carlos Alcaraz made the best possible start to his preparations for the defence of his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/french-open">French Open</a> title, burning past the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in three sets on Sunday to win his first Monte Carlo Masters. &nbsp;
The 21-year-old Spaniard, already a four-time Grand Slam winner, dropped the opening set but came back hard to take the next two at the cost of a single game as he cleaned up 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, albeit helped by a limping Musetti.
It marks a sixth Masters title for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz</a> and is his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year.&nbsp;It was also his first win on clay since winning the French Open last season, although in mitigation he only had one tournament after that when he missed out on gold at the Paris Olympics.
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"I'm just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time," said Alcaraz who lost in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022.
"It's been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations.&nbsp;"I'm really proud of myself, how I've dealt with everything. It's been a really difficult month for me on the court and outside.&nbsp;
"Coming here and seeing how the whole hard work has paid off, I'm really happy."&nbsp;Alcaraz chose not to expand on his difficulties but they may be eased partly by this win which will lift him up to No 2 in the world rankings, ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/alexander-zverev">Alexander Zverev</a> but still behind the suspended Jannik Sinner.&nbsp;
<h2>'Intense'</h2>
However, this was no easy win in chilly conditions against a man playing in his first Masters 1000 final after taking down two top 10 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, to get there.&nbsp;
Musetti dropped his opening service but broke back straight away and took the fight to Alcaraz who, in spite of the odd blissful winner, appeared at odds with his game, making six unforced errors.&nbsp;
The Spaniard bounced back, however, lifting his game as he galloped through the second set 6-1.&nbsp;That trend continued as Musetti began to have problems with his right leg, receiving treatment when he was 0-3 in the decider.&nbsp;
He battled on but could not live with the intensity or physicality of Alcaraz's game.&nbsp;"It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," said Alcaraz.
"Lorenzo's been through a really tough week, long and intense matches.&nbsp;"I feel sorry for him, one of the best results he has done. To end like this is not easy. Hopefully it's not serious and he's 100 percent soon."
Some consolation for Musetti is a rise to No 11 in the rankings and the promise of more to come on the clay as the season gets underway.
"It was probably one of my best tournaments so far," said Musetti who took bronze at last year's Olympics behind Alcaraz and gold medallist Novak Djokovic.&nbsp;"I'm disappointed I couldn't finish the match in the best way, for the crowd. You deserve it so I will keep going and try and come back for revenge."
Both Alcaraz and Musetti will continue their clay court preparations at the Barcelona Open next week in the build-up to the French Open at the end of May.&nbsp;
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis, Sports: It marks a sixth Masters title for Carlos Alcaraz and is his most prestigious title since winning the Wimbledon trophy last year

Carlos Alcaraz made the best possible start to his preparations for the defence of his French Open title, burning past the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in three sets on Sunday to win his first Monte Carlo Masters. The 21-year-old Spaniard, already a four-time Grand Slam winner, dropped the opening set but came back hard to take the next two at the cost of a single game as he cleaned up 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, albeit helped by a limping Musetti. It marks a sixth Masters title for Carlos Alcaraz and is his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year. It was also his first win on clay since winning the French Open last season, although in mitigation he only had one tournament after that when he missed out on gold at the Paris Olympics. Also Read: IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by 12 runs in a thriller "I'm just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time," said Alcaraz who lost in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022. "It's been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations. "I'm really proud of myself, how I've dealt with everything. It's been a really difficult month for me on the court and outside. "Coming here and seeing how the whole hard work has paid off, I'm really happy." Alcaraz chose not to expand on his difficulties but they may be eased partly by this win which will lift him up to No 2 in the world rankings, ahead of Alexander Zverev but still behind the suspended Jannik Sinner. 'Intense' However, this was no easy win in chilly conditions against a man playing in his first Masters 1000 final after taking down two top 10 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, to get there. Musetti dropped his opening service but broke back straight away and took the fight to Alcaraz who, in spite of the odd blissful winner, appeared at odds with his game, making six unforced errors. The Spaniard bounced back, however, lifting his game as he galloped through the second set 6-1. That trend continued as Musetti began to have problems with his right leg, receiving treatment when he was 0-3 in the decider. He battled on but could not live with the intensity or physicality of Alcaraz's game. "It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," said Alcaraz. "Lorenzo's been through a really tough week, long and intense matches. "I feel sorry for him, one of the best results he has done. To end like this is not easy. Hopefully it's not serious and he's 100 percent soon." Some consolation for Musetti is a rise to No 11 in the rankings and the promise of more to come on the clay as the season gets underway. "It was probably one of my best tournaments so far," said Musetti who took bronze at last year's Olympics behind Alcaraz and gold medallist Novak Djokovic. "I'm disappointed I couldn't finish the match in the best way, for the crowd. You deserve it so I will keep going and try and come back for revenge." Both Alcaraz and Musetti will continue their clay court preparations at the Barcelona Open next week in the build-up to the French Open at the end of May. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Carlos Alcaraz caps 'difficult week' with first Monte Carlo Masters title

Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals for the first time on Thursday with a straight-set win over Daniel Altmaier, while British fifth seed Jack Draper was knocked out by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz brushed aside 84th-ranked German Altmaier 6-3, 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with rising French star Arthur Fils on Friday.<o:p></o:p>
"His (Fils') level is really high right now," said Alcaraz. "I saw a little bit from his match today, and he's playing great. I'm not gonna be scared -- that's for sure."<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz took some time to find his rhythm as Altmaier broke him back to level at 3-3 in the first set, but it was one-way traffic from then on.<o:p></o:p>
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The second seed reeled off three straight games to take the first set before racing through the second in just over half an hour.<o:p></o:p>
"At the beginning of the match, we played really long and tough rallies, really close games," added Alcaraz. "I think we both played great tennis. At the end of the first set, I think I played such a great level."<o:p></o:p>
The 21-year-old, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, is the favourite to lift the title this weekend after early exits for top seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz was beaten in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022.<o:p></o:p>
Fils eased into his third successive Masters quarter-final this season with an impressive 6-2, 6-3 thrashing of 2023 champion Andrey Rublev. The 20-year-old Fils is aiming to reach the semis of a Masters event for the first time, after losing in the last eight at both Indian Wells and the Miami Open this year.<o:p></o:p>
"If it's him, it's going to be the first time I'm going to play him," Fils said of meeting Alcaraz. "It's going to be a good experience. He's a big champion. He won four Grand Slams already. I didn't win a single one."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Alcaraz took some time to find his rhythm as Altmaier broke him back to level at 3-3 in the first set, but it was one-way traffic from then on.

Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals for the first time on Thursday with a straight-set win over Daniel Altmaier, while British fifth seed Jack Draper was knocked out by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz brushed aside 84th-ranked German Altmaier 6-3, 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with rising French star Arthur Fils on Friday. "His (Fils') level is really high right now," said Alcaraz. "I saw a little bit from his match today, and he's playing great. I'm not gonna be scared -- that's for sure." Alcaraz took some time to find his rhythm as Altmaier broke him back to level at 3-3 in the first set, but it was one-way traffic from then on. Also read | 'Stop Stalking'- Japanese badminton star's on-the-face message to Chinese fans The second seed reeled off three straight games to take the first set before racing through the second in just over half an hour. "At the beginning of the match, we played really long and tough rallies, really close games," added Alcaraz. "I think we both played great tennis. At the end of the first set, I think I played such a great level." The 21-year-old, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, is the favourite to lift the title this weekend after early exits for top seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz was beaten in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022. Fils eased into his third successive Masters quarter-final this season with an impressive 6-2, 6-3 thrashing of 2023 champion Andrey Rublev. The 20-year-old Fils is aiming to reach the semis of a Masters event for the first time, after losing in the last eight at both Indian Wells and the Miami Open this year. "If it's him, it's going to be the first time I'm going to play him," Fils said of meeting Alcaraz. "It's going to be a good experience. He's a big champion. He won four Grand Slams already. I didn't win a single one." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz creates history with maiden Monte Carlos Masters QF berth

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz</a>&nbsp;picked up his first ever win at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/monte-carlo-masters">Monte Carlo Masters</a> when he came from a set down to win his second round match against Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.
After a mixed American tour, with a semi-final in Indian Wells and an early loss to David Goffin in Miami, the 21-year-old Spaniard made a successful return to clay.&nbsp;
His only previous appearance in Monte Carlo in 2022 ended in a three-set defeat by Sebastian Korda.&nbsp;The 21-year-old Spaniard, ranked two in the world, made a slow start against the lively Argentine who outlasted him in extended cross-court rallies.&nbsp; After gaining an early break,&nbsp;Alcaraz&nbsp;gave up four games in a row which was enough for Cerundolo to go on and take the set.
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From then on, however, it was all&nbsp;Alcaraz. He dropped just a single game over the next two sets as he blasted his way to victory in one-hour 37-minutes.
<h2>'I didn't start well'&nbsp;</h2>
"I didn't start well," said&nbsp;Alcaraz. "I made a lot of mistakes and I let him play inside the court, dominating the points.&nbsp;"I just knew that I had to do something else, play more aggressively, and play my own tennis: drop shots, going to the net and show more aggression.&nbsp;
"The most important change was the return, I tried to return closer to the line and push him."
The world No.3 booked himself a last 16 date against the German Daniel Altmaier, 84th in the world, who saw off the French veteran Richard Gasquet 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.&nbsp;Gasquet, 38, playing for the last time in Monte Carlo, was given a warm reception by the crowds who have been watching him since he made his tournament debut as a 15-year-old wild card in 2002.&nbsp;
"I started with (Andre) Agassi and I'll finish with&nbsp;Alcaraz," said Gasquet who will retire from the circuit after the French Open.&nbsp;
"It's a gap of almost 40 years, it's enormous."
Later on Wednesday, another veteran, third seed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/novak-djokovic">Novak Djokovic</a>, takes on the Chilean world No.32 Alejandro Tabilo.The 37-year-old Serb is aiming for his 100th career title, and his first since winning gold at the Paris Olympics last year.
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Tennis, Sports: The 21-year-old Spaniard, ranked two in the world, made a slow start against the lively Argentine who outlasted him in extended cross-court rallies

Carlos Alcaraz picked up his first ever win at the Monte Carlo Masters when he came from a set down to win his second round match against Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. After a mixed American tour, with a semi-final in Indian Wells and an early loss to David Goffin in Miami, the 21-year-old Spaniard made a successful return to clay. His only previous appearance in Monte Carlo in 2022 ended in a three-set defeat by Sebastian Korda. The 21-year-old Spaniard, ranked two in the world, made a slow start against the lively Argentine who outlasted him in extended cross-court rallies. After gaining an early break, Alcaraz gave up four games in a row which was enough for Cerundolo to go on and take the set. Also Read: IPL 2025 | In the name of fans: Why we must respect cricketers' personal space From then on, however, it was all Alcaraz. He dropped just a single game over the next two sets as he blasted his way to victory in one-hour 37-minutes. 'I didn't start well' "I didn't start well," said Alcaraz. "I made a lot of mistakes and I let him play inside the court, dominating the points. "I just knew that I had to do something else, play more aggressively, and play my own tennis: drop shots, going to the net and show more aggression. "The most important change was the return, I tried to return closer to the line and push him." The world No.3 booked himself a last 16 date against the German Daniel Altmaier, 84th in the world, who saw off the French veteran Richard Gasquet 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Gasquet, 38, playing for the last time in Monte Carlo, was given a warm reception by the crowds who have been watching him since he made his tournament debut as a 15-year-old wild card in 2002. "I started with (Andre) Agassi and I'll finish with Alcaraz," said Gasquet who will retire from the circuit after the French Open. "It's a gap of almost 40 years, it's enormous." Later on Wednesday, another veteran, third seed Novak Djokovic, takes on the Chilean world No.32 Alejandro Tabilo.The 37-year-old Serb is aiming for his 100th career title, and his first since winning gold at the Paris Olympics last year. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Monte Carlo Masters: Carlos Alcaraz recovers from sluggish start to move into last 16

Carlos Alcaraz said on Sunday that the pressure to reclaim the world number one ranking from the suspended Jannik Sinner has had a negative impact on his form this season.<o:p></o:p>
"A lot of people are asking me, or are telling me, that I have the chance to become number one if Jannik is not playing," Alcaraz said during a press conference at the Monte Carlo Masters. "So, probably that pressure has killed me in some way."<o:p></o:p>
The 21-year-old Spaniard added that staying at world number three has not come as a shock to him.<o:p></o:p>
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"I'm not surprised because the people always say that we have to win the tournaments or the top people have to be there all the time playing finals or winning tournaments," he said.<o:p></o:p>
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz has endured a tough start to 2025, with his only title coming on the hard courts of Rotterdam two months ago.<o:p></o:p>
But the 1000 event in Monte Carlo signals the start of the clay-court season -- a surface Alcaraz has excelled on.<o:p></o:p>
He won the French Open last year, as well as back-to-back Madrid Masters in 2022 and 2023.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner has been out of action since accepting a three-month doping ban in February after twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.<o:p></o:p>
The 23-year-old Italian is due to return in time for the Rome Open in May.<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz, currently trailing Sinner by 3,610 points in the rankings, said he has at peace with not usurping the Italian as the world's best player.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm just thinking that I'm not able to become number one... in the clay season, even if Jannik is not playing, I don't have the chance to do it," he said. &nbsp;"I think I'm too far from Jannik. So, I'm just here and I realise that I don't have to think about it and just go there and play. <o:p></o:p>
"That's my mindset right now."<o:p></o:p>
After being eliminated on his debut in 2022 and withdrawing from the last two editions, Alcaraz has yet to win a match on the Monte Carlo clay.<o:p></o:p>
Given a bye for the first round, he will seek to end that streak when he takes on the winner of round of 64 match between Francisco Cerundolo and Fabio Fognini.<o:p></o:p>
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Sports, Tennis: Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz has endured a tough start to 2025, with his only title coming on the hard courts of Rotterdam two months ago.

Carlos Alcaraz said on Sunday that the pressure to reclaim the world number one ranking from the suspended Jannik Sinner has had a negative impact on his form this season. "A lot of people are asking me, or are telling me, that I have the chance to become number one if Jannik is not playing," Alcaraz said during a press conference at the Monte Carlo Masters. "So, probably that pressure has killed me in some way." The 21-year-old Spaniard added that staying at world number three has not come as a shock to him. Also read | La Liga: Real Madrid suffer shock defeat to Valencia, Barcelona draws with Real Betis "I'm not surprised because the people always say that we have to win the tournaments or the top people have to be there all the time playing finals or winning tournaments," he said. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz has endured a tough start to 2025, with his only title coming on the hard courts of Rotterdam two months ago. But the 1000 event in Monte Carlo signals the start of the clay-court season -- a surface Alcaraz has excelled on. He won the French Open last year, as well as back-to-back Madrid Masters in 2022 and 2023. Sinner has been out of action since accepting a three-month doping ban in February after twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. The 23-year-old Italian is due to return in time for the Rome Open in May. Alcaraz, currently trailing Sinner by 3,610 points in the rankings, said he has at peace with not usurping the Italian as the world's best player. "I'm just thinking that I'm not able to become number one... in the clay season, even if Jannik is not playing, I don't have the chance to do it," he said. "I think I'm too far from Jannik. So, I'm just here and I realise that I don't have to think about it and just go there and play. "That's my mindset right now." After being eliminated on his debut in 2022 and withdrawing from the last two editions, Alcaraz has yet to win a match on the Monte Carlo clay. Given a bye for the first round, he will seek to end that streak when he takes on the winner of round of 64 match between Francisco Cerundolo and Fabio Fognini. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

How the pressure of taking the number one ranking from suspended Sinner ‘killed’ Alcaraz

World number three <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz" rel="dofollow">Carlos Alcaraz</a> suffered a shock early exit from the Miami Open on Friday as Belgian veteran David Goffin fought back for an inspired 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday. The 34-year-old Goffin beat Alcaraz three years ago in Astana in their last meeting and sensing the Spaniard was far from his best in the opening set, he went on the attack.<o:p></o:p>
The 55th-ranked Goffin, whose world ranking reached No.7 in 2017, struck some glorious winners while Alcaraz was struggling with unforced errors.<o:p></o:p>
The slightly built Goffin was up by a break in all three sets but having let Alcaraz recover in the first he showed poise and calm to stay on top.<o:p></o:p>
"It's that kind of night that I will remember for sure -- against Carlos and in a stadium like that. And the night that gave me a lot of confidence to continue," Goffin said.<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz was blunt in his assessment of his performance.<o:p></o:p>
"In general, it was a poor level from me, I didn't play well," said Alcaraz who said he had felt a little heavy in his legs despite coming into the game feeling in good shape. "I thought I was going to play really good tennis but it didn't happen...playing a break down in the third set, not feeling great or confident physically, it's really tough to get back," he added.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Medvedev out, Novak advances</h2>
Daniil Medvedev also headed home early after suffering a 6-2, 6-3 upset defeat to Spain's 56th-ranked Jaume Munar while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/novak-djokovic" rel="dofollow">Novak Djokovic</a> powered to a straight-sets win over Australian Rinky Hijikata.<o:p></o:p>
Medvedev, the 2023 Miami champion, showed his frustration, hurling his racket on several occasions as Mallorca-born Munar, 27, picked up his third career win over a top 10 opponent.<o:p></o:p>
The Russian made 32 unforced errors and although he gave himself a chance of a comeback in the final game, he couldn't convert on two break points.<o:p></o:p>
Medvedev confirmed he had a problem with his back but said it was no excuse and gave credit to Munar.<o:p></o:p>
"Yeah, I was not 100% physically, but I tried my best to get into the match. Every day was better and better. I had some problems after Indian Wells. Can happen. "He played well, so that's why (he won) I wouldn't go to the match if I would kind of definitely know I'm not ready to win," he added.<o:p></o:p>
Djokovic, who lost his first match in Indian Wells to a lucky loser, was in no mood for another disappointment as he beat 86th-ranked Hijikata 6-0, 7-6 (7/1) to snap his three-match losing streak. <o:p></o:p>
Djokovic, who has won a record 40 titles at Masters 1000 level, has now equalled Rafael Nadal for most match wins (410) since the series' introduction in 1990.<o:p></o:p>
Karen Khachanov ensured the Nick Kyrgios comeback trail was cut short with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 win. <o:p></o:p>
Australian Kyrgios, who has struggled since wrist surgery, defeated Mackenzie McDonald in the first round to earn his first tour-level win since October 2022 but was unable to overcome Khachanov, who reached the semis in Miami in 2023.
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Sports, Tennis: The 55th-ranked Goffin, whose world ranking reached No.7 in 2017, struck some glorious winners while Alcaraz was struggling with unforced errors.

World number three Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock early exit from the Miami Open on Friday as Belgian veteran David Goffin fought back for an inspired 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday. The 34-year-old Goffin beat Alcaraz three years ago in Astana in their last meeting and sensing the Spaniard was far from his best in the opening set, he went on the attack. The 55th-ranked Goffin, whose world ranking reached No.7 in 2017, struck some glorious winners while Alcaraz was struggling with unforced errors. The slightly built Goffin was up by a break in all three sets but having let Alcaraz recover in the first he showed poise and calm to stay on top. "It's that kind of night that I will remember for sure -- against Carlos and in a stadium like that. And the night that gave me a lot of confidence to continue," Goffin said. Alcaraz was blunt in his assessment of his performance. "In general, it was a poor level from me, I didn't play well," said Alcaraz who said he had felt a little heavy in his legs despite coming into the game feeling in good shape. "I thought I was going to play really good tennis but it didn't happen...playing a break down in the third set, not feeling great or confident physically, it's really tough to get back," he added. Medvedev out, Novak advances Daniil Medvedev also headed home early after suffering a 6-2, 6-3 upset defeat to Spain's 56th-ranked Jaume Munar while Novak Djokovic powered to a straight-sets win over Australian Rinky Hijikata. Medvedev, the 2023 Miami champion, showed his frustration, hurling his racket on several occasions as Mallorca-born Munar, 27, picked up his third career win over a top 10 opponent. The Russian made 32 unforced errors and although he gave himself a chance of a comeback in the final game, he couldn't convert on two break points. Medvedev confirmed he had a problem with his back but said it was no excuse and gave credit to Munar. "Yeah, I was not 100% physically, but I tried my best to get into the match. Every day was better and better. I had some problems after Indian Wells. Can happen. "He played well, so that's why (he won) I wouldn't go to the match if I would kind of definitely know I'm not ready to win," he added. Djokovic, who lost his first match in Indian Wells to a lucky loser, was in no mood for another disappointment as he beat 86th-ranked Hijikata 6-0, 7-6 (7/1) to snap his three-match losing streak. Djokovic, who has won a record 40 titles at Masters 1000 level, has now equalled Rafael Nadal for most match wins (410) since the series' introduction in 1990. Karen Khachanov ensured the Nick Kyrgios comeback trail was cut short with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 win. Australian Kyrgios, who has struggled since wrist surgery, defeated Mackenzie McDonald in the first round to earn his first tour-level win since October 2022 but was unable to overcome Khachanov, who reached the semis in Miami in 2023. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Belgian veteran David Goffin sends Carlos Alcaraz packing in Miami Open

Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of his Indian Wells three-peat bid on Saturday, and nerves played a key role in "one of the worst sets I have played in my career." <o:p></o:p>
A four-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz said he was too focused on what weapons British left-hander Jack Draper might bring and unable to calm the pre-match jitters that prevented him from rising to the occasion.<o:p></o:p>
Draper, ranked 14th in the world, beat Alcaraz 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 to end the Spaniard's dream of joining Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight titles in the California desert.<o:p></o:p>
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"Obviously I wanted to win the third in a row, but I can't pretend to win every match," Alcaraz said. "I am not as upset about not getting the third one in a row. I am upset about myself, about the way that I approached the match, the way that I felt during the whole day, that I couldn't calm down myself."<o:p></o:p>
"That's, for me, the most disappointed thing that I'm feeling right now, because (it) is probably one of the worst sets that I have played in my whole career, the first set."<o:p></o:p>
In a place he described this week as "peaceful," Alcaraz said he was on edge all day and warmed up poorly before the match.<o:p></o:p>
"I always say that I have to be focused on myself, on my own game. I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself," he said.<o:p></o:p>
The result was an erratic effort from Alcaraz, who had sailed through his first three matches with the loss of just 10 games before pulling off a tighter quarter-final victory over Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets.<o:p></o:p>
The 21-year-old said he was still working to find ways to maintain his highest level more consistently.<o:p></o:p>
"I think I'm improving. I'm getting more mature," he said. "I still sometimes (am) playing such a really high level, and then my level goes down a lot.<o:p></o:p>
"So, I have to think about it. I have to keep working, keep going," added Alcaraz, who insisted he would shake off the defeat and be ready for the Miami Open this coming week.<o:p></o:p>
"I consider myself a person who learns from the fails, from the losses," he said. "The last time that I lost here was the semi-final (in 2022), and after all, I won Miami, so I think I will go for it.<o:p></o:p>
"I will make the most of myself in Miami."<o:p></o:p>
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Sports, Tennis: Draper, ranked 14th, beat Alcaraz to end the Spaniard's dream of joining Federer and Djokovic as the only men to win three straight titles in the California desert.

Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of his Indian Wells three-peat bid on Saturday, and nerves played a key role in "one of the worst sets I have played in my career." A four-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz said he was too focused on what weapons British left-hander Jack Draper might bring and unable to calm the pre-match jitters that prevented him from rising to the occasion. Draper, ranked 14th in the world, beat Alcaraz 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 to end the Spaniard's dream of joining Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight titles in the California desert. Also read | U-15 table tennis championship to feature India’s top young players, global talent "Obviously I wanted to win the third in a row, but I can't pretend to win every match," Alcaraz said. "I am not as upset about not getting the third one in a row. I am upset about myself, about the way that I approached the match, the way that I felt during the whole day, that I couldn't calm down myself." "That's, for me, the most disappointed thing that I'm feeling right now, because (it) is probably one of the worst sets that I have played in my whole career, the first set." In a place he described this week as "peaceful," Alcaraz said he was on edge all day and warmed up poorly before the match. "I always say that I have to be focused on myself, on my own game. I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself," he said. The result was an erratic effort from Alcaraz, who had sailed through his first three matches with the loss of just 10 games before pulling off a tighter quarter-final victory over Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets. The 21-year-old said he was still working to find ways to maintain his highest level more consistently. "I think I'm improving. I'm getting more mature," he said. "I still sometimes (am) playing such a really high level, and then my level goes down a lot. "So, I have to think about it. I have to keep working, keep going," added Alcaraz, who insisted he would shake off the defeat and be ready for the Miami Open this coming week. "I consider myself a person who learns from the fails, from the losses," he said. "The last time that I lost here was the semi-final (in 2022), and after all, I won Miami, so I think I will go for it. "I will make the most of myself in Miami." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz ‘upset with himself’ in nervy loss at Indian Wells

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