The Roland Garros semifinals are officially defined. Four great tennis players, three young talents who have never won the French tournament, and two who have never won a Grand Slam. The French Open offers high emotions, with two dramatic matches deciding who will compete for the Musketeers’ Cup.
Casper Ruud – Alexander Zverev: The Unprecedented Semifinal
They have never won a Grand Slam, but they know what it takes to get to the final. For the fourth time in their careers, Ruud and Zverev will square off. Zverev won twice in their previous three meetings, while Ruud won the last time they met.
Alexander Zverev comes in with a great record on clay courts. The German has reached the Roland Garros semifinals three times and previously won on clay in Madrid and Rome. His opponent, on the other hand, is a powerful player on this surface, which provides a challenge in this tough match.
Ruud was a finalist last year but fell short against the unbeatable Rafael Nadal. This time, the Norwegian has a second chance to complete his first Grand Slam. With the absence of the Spanish player, he is left with only two opponents: Zverev and the winner of the second semifinal. If Ruud succeeds, he will be facing his third attempt to win a Grand Slam… although one of his past conquerors is on the other side of the draw.
Carlos Alcaraz – Novak Djokovic: Youth versus Experience
The two players who have already won at least one Grand Slam title in their careers are drawn on the other side of the draw… as are the two who have been ranked number one in the ATP Ranking at some stage in their careers. The current ATP leader, Carlos Alcaraz, will face one of the ‘Big Three’: Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz has been a breath of new air in the tennis world. With Roger Federer’s retirement and the twilight years of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the sport appeared to be on the cusp of a leadership crisis. The next-generation players had yet to fully emerge, and there were no signs of anyone reaching a comparable level. Comparisons between the Spanish player and his compatriot, on the other hand, suggest that ‘Carlitos’ is prepared for a clash like the one ahead.
One of the tennis players who has prompted similarities between Alcaraz and Nadal is the one who has suffered the most as a result of it, and who he now faces: Novak Djokovic. The Serbian, who is tied with Nadal in terms of Grand Slam victories, must defeat the young Spaniard if he is to surpass the veteran. Djokovic is having a fantastic campaign on one of his weaker surfaces, thus this match appears to be historic… and many predict that the tournament winner will emerge from this fight.
There has only been one previous meeting between the two players, and it happened on clay. Alcaraz completed a comeback and defeated Djokovic in an exciting tiebreak in the semifinals of the Madrid Open.
Two historic matches and three players who will attempt to show the lone representative of the ‘Big Three’ in the tournament that they are ready to inherit the throne of the world’s most important racquet sport.
