Alcaraz will face Sinner in the 'great' French Open final.

After defeating an ailing Lorenzo Musetti in Friday’s round of four, Carlos Alcaraz guaranteed a thrilling Roland Garros final matchup with top seed Jannik Sinner.

Eighth seed Musetti was forced to withdraw due to a thigh problem after two hours and twenty-five minutes of play on Court Philippe Chatrier, where the Spaniard was up 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0.

The world number one, Sinner, crushed Djokovic’s most recent attempt at a 25th Grand Slam with a straight-sets victory in Friday’s second semi-final, setting up second seed Alcaraz to defend his title against the Italian.

This will be the first time the duo faces off in a major final.

“I believe it’s going to be an amazing Sunday for tennis fans”, the 22-year-old expressed.

“Jannik is currently the top tennis player. He is dominating every opponent up to the semi-finals”, he remarked about the three-time Grand Slam champion, who has not lost a set in the tournament.

Alcaraz defeated Sinner in a five-set match during the semi-finals on his journey to winning the title at Roland Garros in 2024. Additionally, he defeated the 23-year-old last month in the final of the Italian Open, marking Sinner’s comeback after a three-month doping suspension

Four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz has come out on top in the last four encounters between the two highest-ranked players globally, giving him a 7-4 lead in their overall matchups.

Musetti’s – Quick recovery

Following Musetti’s enforced withdrawal in Paris, Alcaraz advanced to his second French Open final and his fifth major final overall.

He now holds a 6-1 advantage over the 23-year-old in their head-to-head matchups, having triumphed in all three of their clay-court encounters this season, including wins in the Monte Carlo final and the Italian Open semi-finals.

With Musetti’s unexpected retirement in Paris, Alcaraz found himself in his second French Open final and his fifth major final overall.

The match started evenly for both players, but Musetti seized the moment at 5-4 on Alcaraz’s serve, creating a break opportunity right at the beginning of the game with a powerful crosscourt forehand winner that capped off a fierce baseline rally.

The duo traded consecutive breaks at the beginning of the second set.

The champion of Monte Carlo and Rome regained the lead in the 11th game, but Musetti quickly responded, pushing the match into a tie-break.

However, Alcaraz was determined not to be stopped, as he took control of the tie-break, finally equalizing the match on his third attempt when Musetti hit a forehand into the net while on the run.

Now confidently in the lead, Alcaraz took full advantage by completing the third set in just 22 minutes, conceding only five points.

Musetti was given a massage on his left thigh during the break while he was down 0-5 in the third set, and he later indicated that he could not continue three games later.

“At the onset of the third set, while I was serving, I began to notice a slight decrease in strength in my left leg, which progressively worsened. Consequently, I made the decision to stop”, Musetti explained.

It was a disappointing conclusion to what had been a fantastic clay-court season for the player from Carrara, who made it to at least the semi-finals in three Masters-level events, including Roland Garros.

“This isn’t how I want to win, by reaching the final”, Alcaraz remarked.

“His clay season has been amazing, and he’s at a really high level now”.

“I simply wished him a quick recovery, you know. I hope to see him again soon, playing tennis and having fun on the court. I have no doubt that He will make it to these stages and fight for the Grand Slam and finals”.

Alcaraz will face Sinner in the ‘great’ French Open final.

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