Inspired by Sinner, Alcaraz Raises Level of Performance at French Open

PARIS, TUESDAY – Having a rival is not only about facing each other on the court. For Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis player, a rival can serve as a source of inspiration to improve oneself.

Alcaraz took his toughest competitor, Jannik Sinner, as a source of inspiration when facing Tommy Paul (United States) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 French Open tennis tournament at Philippe Chatrier Court, Roland Garros, Paris, France, on Tuesday (3/6/2025) evening local time or Wednesday (4/6/2025) early morning Indonesia time. He won against Paul, losing only five games, with scores of 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.

Alcaraz elevated his level of performance when facing Paul after consistently playing four sets in three previous rounds in succession, namely against Fabian Marozsan (second round), Damir Dzumhur (third), and Ben Shelton (fourth).

"He (Sinner) inspires me to give one hundred percent in every match. It is very important to play at a high level consistently from the beginning to the end of the match in order to have more recovery time for the next match," said Alcaraz.

Alcaraz defeated Paul in a match that lasted one hour and 34 minutes. This duel became his shortest match in five games at Roland Garros this year.

Sinner, the world number one tennis player who has been the toughest rival for Alcaraz since 2024, navigated through four rounds with relative ease. He did not lose a single set when facing Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night. In the third round, Sinner even lost only three games while defeating Jiri Lehecka, 6-0, 6-1, 6-2.

The victory in the fourth round against Andrey Rublev has made Sinner unbeaten in 18 consecutive matches at Grand Slam events. A total of 14 victories prior to the French Open led the 23-year-old tennis player to become the champion of the 2024 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open.

The winner of the match between Sinner and Bublik will face the winner of another quarterfinal, Alexander Zverev or Novak Djokovic. These players, representing the first generation of "Next Gen" and the "Big Three," will meet for the 14th time, with Djokovic holding an 8-5 advantage in their previous encounters.

He (Sinner) inspires me to give one hundred percent in every game.

However, Zverev won his last unfinished match, the Australian Open semifinals in January, when Djokovic retired after losing the first set with a left hamstring injury.

Alcaraz, who reached the semifinals of the 2023 French Open and won in 2024, will face Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals. The Italian tennis player defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

The men's singles semifinal, on Friday, will mark the third meeting between Alcaraz and Musetti on clay courts in 2025. Alcaraz defeated the Italian player in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters and the semifinal of the Rome Masters, which serve as warm-ups for the French Open. "Lorenzo is playing very well. The match will be exciting," said Alcaraz.

Two meetings in the final stages of the high-level tournament serve as indicators that Musetti will be a tough opponent on clay courts. He also boasts the best winning percentage at the Grand Slam event in the French Open, which is 67 percent.

Therefore, Alcaraz stated that a quick victory with a good performance against Paul was advantageous for him in facing the quarterfinals against Musetti.

One of the women's singles semifinals will feature two players who have been rivals for at least the past two years, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. The meeting, which will take place on Thursday, comes after they both overcame tough competition in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Sabalenka triumphed over the Olympic gold medalist from the Paris 2024 Games, Zheng Qin Wen, with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-3. Swiatek returned to the semifinals after winning the women's singles title at the French Open for the past three years, following her victory against Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-1, 7-5.

The victory over Zheng serves as a redemption for the defeat experienced by Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 in Rome. At that time, Sabalenka suffered her first loss to Zheng in seven encounters.

"There is a positive side to the defeat in Rome. I have plenty of time to prepare for playing at Roland Garros. I have another opportunity to compete in the semifinals. I am ready to fight for every point," said Sabalenka.

Sabalenka and Swiatek have competed 12 times, but the French Open semifinal will be their first encounter this year. Swiatek has won eight times, but lost in their most recent meeting, which took place in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati 2024. Nevertheless, the Polish player has an advantage on clay courts, such as at Roland Garros. Swiatek has won five out of six encounters.

Two other women's singles semifinals will be up for grabs in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Roland Garros finalist in 2023 Cori Gauff will face Australian Open champion Madison Keys, while Mirra Andreeva will face home wild card Lois Boisson. (Afp/reutes)