Alcaraz Advances Is Musetti's Injury Exposing Tennis's Top Tier Divide?

Article Heading: Carlos Alcaraz Advances to French Open Final After Musetti's Injury Retirement

Roland Garros, Paris – While it wasn't his most dominant performance, Carlos Alcaraz has once again demonstrated why he's a force to be reckoned with on the clay courts of Roland Garros. He secured his place in a second consecutive French Open final after Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire due to injury, reminding everyone of the considerable gap between the elite players and the rest of the field in men’s tennis.

Musetti, the No. 8 seed, initially posed a challenge to the defending champion. However, he ultimately succumbed to Alcaraz's relentless pressure at 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 (ret). The unfortunate ending highlighted the immense challenge of sustaining a high level of play against Alcaraz, particularly on clay where the Spaniard boasts an impressive record, having lost only one of his last 23 matches.

The match bore a striking resemblance to their encounter at Monte Carlo a few months prior, where Alcaraz triumphed after a similar pattern of Musetti fading physically. This isn't a coincidence; playing against Alcaraz demands an extraordinary level of endurance, a test the Italian struggled to pass after losing the crucial second-set tiebreak, which cost him the chance to secure a two-set lead.

“I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start to, start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind,” Musetti explained in his post-match press conference. He received treatment after the third set but retired shortly after, citing concerns about risking further injury and impacting his participation in the upcoming grass-court season.

Key moments of the match:

• First Set: Musetti ambushed Alcaraz, breaking him when serving to stay in the set, ultimately claiming it 6-4.
• Second Set: Despite Alcaraz breaking Musetti twice, the Italian responded immediately both times, leading to a pivotal tiebreak.
• Tiebreak: Alcaraz dominated, shifting the momentum decisively in his favor.
• Third Set: Alcaraz raced to a 5-0 lead, displaying increased freedom and creativity in his shots. Musetti required medical treatment.
• Retirement: After losing the third set 6-0 and trailing 2-0 in the fourth, Musetti made the difficult decision to retire.

Like all great champions, Alcaraz possesses the invaluable ability to win even when not at his absolute best. Despite a shaky start, including a first-set first-serve percentage of only 41%, he gradually improved and capitalized on Musetti's physical decline.

Although Alcaraz increased his first serve percentage to 65% in subsequent sets, the increased margin reduced some of his potency, with his first-serve points won percentage dropping to 63 per cent from 73 per cent in the first set.

With the victory, Alcaraz now has the opportunity to defend his French Open title. The young Spaniard will face the winner of the semifinal clash between world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. He stated his intention to watch their match closely on Friday night.

Alcaraz acknowledges the need to elevate his game for the final, regardless of his opponent. However, he has consistently demonstrated his capacity to peak at the opportune moment. He is a formidable competitor on this surface.

The final is scheduled for Sunday and promises to be an exciting contest.

(Photo: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

Tags: Carlos Alcaraz, Roland Garros, French Open, Musetti, Tennis, Clay court, Alcaraz victory, Men's tennis, Sports news, Tennis final

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6408414/2025/06/06/carlos-alcaraz-french-open-lorenzo-musetti-result-analysis/