It was Carlos Alcaraz, not Novak Djokovic, who pulled off a stunt that drew reactions like, “How did he do it? “. A hit that went viral on the Internet in minutes and will be talked about for several years.
It was Alcaraz, 20, and not Djokovic, 36, who had the youth for him. It was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who complained to his coach, early in the match in temperatures of almost 30 degrees Celsius on the court at the Philippe-Chatrier stadium, that the points did not last long enough to wear down his opponent.
And yet it was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who faltered due to the heat and intensity and, by his own admission, the pressure of the occasion. It was Alcaraz’s body, not Djokovic’s, that cracked. And so, it is Djokovic, ranked third, and not Alcaraz, world number one, who will continue his journey in Paris with the possibility of adding to his collection of trophies.
Using all his superiority in terms of experience and physical condition, Djokovic defeated a cramp-victim Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Tennis Open in four sets of 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6. -1, Friday.
Djokovic qualified for the 34e once to a Grand Slam tournament final in men’s singles and came close to a 23e coronation, which would break a tie for the men’s lead with Rafael Nadal.
“I can understand the emotions and circumstances that affect you mentally and emotionally. […] Maybe for the first time in his career, he was expected to win. It’s part of the learning curve. »
You can check one for the “old”.
“I have never felt so much tension as in this match,” said Alcaraz, who believes the stage fright that may have overtaken him, due to the occasion and the intimidating opponent on the other side. of the net, contributed to causing cramps in “all parts of my body”.
“He has been in this situation on multiple occasions,” added Alcaraz. ” More than me. »
On Sunday, in the grand final, Djokovic will face the Norwegian Casper Ruud, ranked fourth, who eliminated the German Alexander Zverev (22e), 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.
Ruud will be in a third final in the last five major tournaments, including Roland Garros a year ago, when he lost to Nadal. He remains in search of a first Grand Slam trophy.
“I tried to play without too many feelings,” Ruud said. “Without too much pressure. »
Nadal missed his favorite tournament with a hip injury, and he underwent arthroscopy last week.
Suddenly, for all observers and fans, all attention over the past two weeks has been on two men. Djokovic, who has won 10 of the last 19 Grand Slams in men’s singles, and Alcaraz, winner at the US Open in September. Djokovic is one of the dominant figures in the history of his sport; Alcaraz is seen as the future.
And they certainly put on a great show for two innings, to the point where the spectators chanted “No-le!” and “Car-li-tos!” “, the nicknames of the two belligerents.
“It was blow for blow,” summarized Djokovic.
From applause to boos
Stretching full length and skilfully sliding down the Parisian clay, Djokovic slammed shots from the baseline that sent Alcaraz moving in all directions. Using his speed and instinct, Alcaraz somehow found a way to retrieve just about every one of those bullets.
“At the net, I told him that he has a lot of time ahead of him and that I am sure he will win Roland-Garros many times in the future. I have no doubt about it,” the Serb recounted, referring to the conversation he and his rival had after the duel concluded.
“He is a fantastic player. He has so many qualities. He is so dynamic. He has so much power in his shots. He is a very complete player. »
Nothing was as spectacular as THIS shot from Alcaraz. The hit of the day, of the tournament, of the year. Similar to a move Roger Federer made on the same court a few years ago.
It happened in the second set when the score was 1-1. After drawing Alcaraz forward, Djokovic sent the ball towards the baseline. Several players would have conceded the point to move on to the next one. Or, perhaps, tried to join the ball, but without success.
Alcaraz gave chase, running with his back to the net, then sliding past the baseline, his left foot bending as he came to a stop. He rotated his body while leaning back, then he found a way to land a forehand winner.
As the spectators shouted and jumped from their seats to applaud the feat, Alcaraz raised his left hand and briefly gestured with his index finger as “number 1”.
He sketched a big smile.
Even Djokovic had to smile, and he used his racket to applaud.
But soon after, this long-awaited clash turned into something far from spectacular.
At the start of the third set, after almost two and a half hours of effort and tension, Alcaraz’s body began to lock. He first had a cramp in one hand. Then to the legs.
After missing a forehand return that made it 1-1, Alcaraz hopped on his left leg, then grabbed his right calf. He dropped his racket. Referee Aurélie Tourte got down from her chair to go see him. Djokovic did the same, making his way to the side of the court where the Spaniard was.
A medical break for injury – what the rulebook describes as “an acute medical condition” – during a match is permitted. But treatment for cramps before a change of ends is not permitted without incurring a penalty.
So, Tourte told Alcaraz he could sit on his bench and receive help from a trainer, but he would have to concede the next game, which he did.
When play resumed with Djokovic up 2-1 in that set, the crowd booed and whistled, until Tourte explained, in French, what was happening.
“From that moment, admitted Djokovic, it was a different game. »
Alcaraz would only win one more game.
“It was obvious that he had difficulty with his movements. It’s unfortunate for the crowd. It’s a shame for a match of this importance for all of us, noted Djokovic. But that’s sports. »
At his press conference, Djokovic was asked about some of the boos that may have been directed at him – and what his reaction was.
” It does not bother me. It is not the first time ; probably not the last. I’m just going to keep winning. »