(Paris) This is the match that everyone wanted to see, and they wanted to play it, a question of supremacy: before being able to aim for the trophy, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic face each other in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros on Friday, for the first time in Grand Slam.
The keys to the meeting between the Spaniard N.1 in the world and the Serbian N.3:
The look
Carlos Alcaraz has for him the youth of his just 20 years (since May 5). Opposite, Djokovic displays the weight of his 36 years.
“I feel good, I’m full of confidence, physically, tennis, mentally, I’m very well and I play great tennis,” claims Alcaraz.
“He puts a lot of intensity on the court. He reminds me of someone from the same country who also plays with his left hand,” comments Djokovic with humor in reference to Roland-Garros master Rafael Nadal, absent this year due to injury.
Alcaraz believes that Djokovic, “physically, he is a rock”.
PHOTO BENOIT TESSIER, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Carlos Alcaraz
A rock, or a rubber man capable of the most extreme extensions.
However, since the start of the season, Djokovic’s body has shown flaws: a torn thigh in Australia did not prevent him from winning the tournament and equaling the record of 22 Grand Slam titles set. before him by Nadal, as well as a right arm injury that he has dragged on since the start of the clay-court season in April in Monte-Carlo.
But the Serb has proven his ability to overcome pain and injury in major tournaments.
“Physically, Novak is a genius. But Carlos’ speed on the court might be a bit too high for him,” predicted three-time tournament winner and Eurosport consultant Mats Wilander.
Tennis
In 2023, Alcaraz has won more matches on clay than anyone else (25 out of 27 played) and comes to Paris with three titles on this surface: Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and above all Madrid.
And his analysis after dispatching Stefanos Tsitsipas (5e) in the quarter-finals is enough to worry any opponent.
“My level rises with each of my victories. Today (Tuesday) I played such good tennis, I played really, really well. I would say one of the best games of my career,” he said.
Djokovic, he gave up his first set of the tournament in the quarterfinals against Karen Khachanov (11e).
“I’ve played pretty good and dominating tennis so far,” said Djokovic, however, taking as “relatively positive” the fact of having had to fight a little before his half.
“I will analyze my game and I will be better prepared for the next match,” he warns.
The Serb has had no convincing results on clay this season, stopping at best in the quarter-finals in Rome.
But Khachanov explained the difficulty of playing against him: “he always tries to find a way (to get the upper hand), he changes his game, he goes forward, he goes back, he defends, and you always feel like you have to play an extra ball.
“I will have to keep the rhythm that he will print at each point. He played millions of games and we all saw him achieve invincibility, ”recalls Alcaraz.
The experience
There, there is no match. Alcaraz is preparing to play his second Grand Slam semi-final after that of the 2022 United States Open where he won the title in stride. Djokovic, he will play his 45e half and the 12e at Roland Garros. In total, he won the title 22 times, including twice in Paris.
What will make the difference between youth and experience? “I would like to say my youth,” replies Alcaraz. But I think experience is a bigger asset at this level of the tournament. »
At the stage where his career is, where he chases a record almost every time he plays, the Serb makes no secret that the number of Grand Slam titles is his main objective. So his lack of competitiveness in recent weeks and the loss of a set against Khachanov does not destabilize him.
“It’s the big day that you have to play your best tennis,” he insists.
Motivation
Maximum on both sides.
“It’s the game everyone wanted to see, and I wanted to play it because to be the best, you have to beat the best,” said Alcaraz.
“He is definitely the man to beat, so I can’t wait to play him,” confirms Djokovic.
Is there a favourite? “It’s Novak,” says Alcaraz. “He won twice and if he hadn’t fallen to the best player on earth in history, he would have won even more”.
His trainer Juan Carlos Ferrero does not feign humility: “Carlos is completely ready”, he assures. “But I cannot give details” on his tactics.
