Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is heading to the French Open final after his opponent Lorenzo Musetti retired during their semifinal match on Friday. Musetti halted play in the fourth set while trailing 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Alcaraz expressed his mixed feelings about the win, stating, “It’s not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player. I wish him all the best, and wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him soon on the court.”
The match took a turn when Musetti received treatment for a left thigh injury late in the third set and again before the fourth. After an uncharacteristic start to the third, Musetti called for a trainer when down 5-0 just 16 minutes into the set. Alcaraz quickly seized the opportunity, breaking Musetti’s serve to clinch the third set in just 21 minutes, winning 24 out of 29 points during that period.
Musetti showed visible discomfort during the match and called for further medical assistance. After Alcaraz broke serve to lead 2-0 in the fourth, Musetti gingerly walked to the net and embraced Alcaraz, signaling the end of the contest.
“I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind, and definitely was going worse and worse, so I decided to stop,” Musetti explained. “I think was the right decision to make, even if it was not what I wanted. Tomorrow I will do exams.”
With this victory, Alcaraz, seeded second, prepares to vie for his second French Open title and fifth Grand Slam title overall. His opponent will be either top-ranked Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, who were set to play their semifinal later on Friday.
Among the spectators watching the match were Hollywood actor Dustin Hoffman and former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, joining a lively crowd as Musetti attempted to capitalize on his skillful one-handed backhand.
The Italian crowd cheered him on enthusiastically, with many fans donning clown wigs in the colors of the Italian flag. Musetti managed to take the first set when Alcaraz sent a forehand wide, contributing to the Spaniard’s 16 unforced errors in that set.
Frustration began to show for Alcaraz, who directed a side-footed kick at his changeover seat during the second set. Yet, he found relief when he broke Musetti’s serve in the 11th game and celebrated by raising his right fist in triumph.
Musetti retaliated, breaking back to force a tiebreaker, but Alcaraz dominated that phase, eventually claiming the set after Musetti mishandled a drop shot that led to an easy point for Alcaraz.
“The first two sets were really tough,” Alcaraz commented. “When I won the second set, I was relieved. Then in the third set, I knew what I had to do. I knew I could push him to the limit by just keeping being aggressive. I managed to be myself, be more calm, I could see much clearer and play great tennis.”
This match marked Musetti’s second semifinal appearance in a Grand Slam, having lost to Djokovic in straight sets at Wimbledon last year.
After defeating Musetti for the sixth consecutive time, Alcaraz proclaimed he feels physically prepared for the final. “Really good. It’s been three intense weeks but I’m feeling great,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence right now. I’m going to give everything on Sunday.”
Alcaraz’s impressive clay season has seen him maintain a 21-1 record, adding to his titles from Rome, where he defeated Sinner, and Monte Carlo, where he triumphed against Musetti.
With Musetti’s retirement, his bid to become only the second Italian man to reach the French Open final fell short, a title last held by Adriano Panatta in 1976.
However, Jannik Sinner still carries the hope of becoming that second Italian man, positioning himself for a potential historic moment in the tournament.
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