In a decisive display at the French Open, Carlos Alcaraz showcased why he remains a formidable presence on the courts. On Tuesday night, the No. 2 seed advanced to the semifinals at Roland-Garros for the third year in a row, dispatching No. 12 seed Tommy Paul with a commanding 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Paul, struggling with a heavily taped right thigh and other physical ailments, was unable to contend with Alcaraz’s relentless performance. The American player entered the match with hopes of victory, but was quickly outclassed. “I’ve felt better, you know?” Paul admitted post-match, acknowledging his physical limitations and the formidable nature of his opponent. “It was pretty obvious that I wasn’t moving amazing.”
For Alcaraz, it was one of those matches where everything clicked into place. “Today was one of those days that you’re feeling great. You feel like every shot was going to be in, every shot was going to be a winner,” Alcaraz noted after the match. “You play with a lot of confidence. No fear of anything.” It took him merely 52 minutes to take the first two sets, amassing a 23-5 winner advantage in that period and ultimately finishing with a 40-13 winner margin.
Paul acknowledged the extraordinary level of play from his rival, observing, “He played some great tennis. Returned very well. Had me on my back foot all the time. Playing so fast.” The American also remarked on Alcaraz’s swift pace, even during breaks, wishing for more time to regroup.
The third set provided a glimpse of hope for Paul, as he led 4-3 at one point while spectators chanted in his support. However, Alcaraz swiftly claimed the next three games, sealing the triumph just after an hour and a half. “At Grand Slams, the less time you spend on court, it’s great to save energy for the next matches,” recognized Alcaraz, who is pursuing his fifth major trophy. “Can’t ask for a better performance.”
Alcaraz’s journey to the semifinals marks a remarkable feat, as he is the first reigning men’s champion in Paris to do so the following year since Rafael Nadal in 2021. This clay season, he boasts a formidable 20-1 record and leads the men’s tour with 35 wins and three titles to his name.
His next challenge will come in the form of No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated No. 15 Frances Tiafoe earlier on Tuesday. Meanwhile, other highly anticipated quarterfinals await, including clashes featuring No. 1 Jannik Sinner against unseeded Alexander Bublik and No. 3 Alexander Zverev facing 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
For Paul, who reached the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year, and his compatriot Tiafoe, their journeys in Paris marked a noteworthy achievement. They became the first American men to reach the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros since Andre Agassi in 2003. Notably, it was the first time since 1996 that two American men advanced to the quarterfinals in the same year. However, since Agassi’s 1999 Grand Slam completion at the French Open, U.S. men have struggled against top 10 players on clay, with a 1-60 record in such matchups.