Carlos Alcaraz Reaches French Open Final After Musetti Retires Injured

Photo : AFP

Carlos Alcaraz, the current French Open champion, is through to the final again. He reached the final after Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti had to stop playing because of an injury on Friday. Musetti was already trailing in the match with scores of 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 when he retired.

Alcaraz is now aiming to become only the third man in this century—after Rafael Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten—to win the French Open two years in a row. In the final on Sunday, he will face either world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles.

“It’s never a good feeling to win like this,” Alcaraz said. He praised Musetti for having a great clay court season and wished him a fast recovery. “He’s a strong player and has done really well this year. I hope we see him back soon,” he added.

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The match had a tough start. Musetti didn’t allow Alcaraz many chances to break his serve in the first nine games. But Alcaraz found a way through and took the first set when Musetti made some mistakes.

In the second set, Alcaraz got frustrated. At one point, he even kicked the bench. But he managed to fight back and won the set in a tiebreak. After that, Alcaraz played very well, winning the third set without losing a single game — known as a “bagel” in tennis.

By the fourth set, Musetti looked like he was in pain, possibly because of a thigh problem. After just two games, he decided he couldn’t continue and stopped the match.

Alcaraz later said, “The first two sets were really hard. I had chances to lead, but I didn’t use them. After I won the second set, I felt more relaxed. I could play more freely and better. I’m feeling fit and strong, and I’m ready to give my best in the final.”

He also said he was looking forward to watching the second semi-final between Sinner and Djokovic. “I won’t miss that match,” Alcaraz said. “It’s going to be a great one, and I’ll watch closely to pick up some tactics.”

Now, Alcaraz has just one more match to go in his French Open journey — the final, where he hopes to make history once again.