With the 2026 Grand Slam season beginning on Sunday, we’re looking back at one of Carlos Alcaraz’s most important and career-defining majors.
In 2023, Carlos Alcaraz reached the semifinals of Roland Garros, in which he matched up against Novak Djokovic. The match got off to a great start, as the two players were showcasing an extremely high level of tennis. Djokovic took the first set, but Alcaraz struck back quickly by winning the second.
The momentum was shifting in the Spaniard’s favour, and it looked like he might have been able to go all the way. Unfortunately, with the score tied at 1-1 in the third set, Alcaraz started cramping badly in his whole body, especially his right calf.
From then on, Alcaraz didn’t stand a chance anymore, but he didn’t want to retire, as it was a semifinal of a Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic took both the third and fourth sets 6-1 and the spectators felt like they had been robbed of a match for the ages.
Embed from Getty ImagesComing into the 2024 clay court season, Carlos Alcaraz suffered a right forearm injury, which only allowed him to play one tournament (the Madrid Masters) leading up to Roland Garros.
At the Madrid Open, he lost in the quarterfinals, because his injury flared up again. He then decided to rest until Roland Garros, to be able to give his arm the best possible chance to recover. He clearly had the potential to win the French Open. The only question was whether his body would hold up.
Embed from Getty ImagesEarly rounds
Carlos Alcaraz showed up to Roland Garros wearing an arm sleeve, creating a lot of worries surrounding the state of his injury. The Spaniard, however, quickly shut down any sort of speculation, by getting past the first four rounds, showcasing an exceptionally high level of tennis and only dropping one set in the process.
Quarter-final
Carlos Alcaraz demolished Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, eliminating any lingering doubts regarding whether he was healthy enough to go deep into the tournament. The 21-year-old meant business and showed that it would take more for him to exit the tournament this time around.
Semi-final
In the semi-final he matched up against, at the time, World No. 2 Jannik Sinner. Even though nobody knew at the time, this match would be a warmup to their historic 2025 French Open final. It was a very even battle, but Jannik Sinner made Carlos Alcaraz pay for some of his avoidable mistakes, as the Spaniard found himself two sets to one down going into the fourth.
It was at this moment that Alcaraz levelled up and his incredible shotmaking started to peak. Sinner was unable to counter Carlos’ ridiculously clutch shots, as the Spaniard prevailed and reached the first Roland Garros final of his career.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Final
Carlos Alcaraz faced 27-year-old Alexander Zverev in the final of the 2024 Roland Garros. Zverev was a veteran compared to him and was longing for his first Grand Slam title ever since he lost the final of the 2020 US Open against Dominic Thiem.
Both players played beautifully in the final, with Zverev going for a more safe and efficient approach. On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz has always played a more risk-taking and win or go home style, which is also what makes him one of the most loved tennis players on the planet. This approach is what ultimately helped the Spaniard lift his maiden French Open trophy, as he outplayed Alexander Zverev with extraordinary shot making.
Zverev had no answers for Alcaraz’s game, especially as every time he would try something different and rush the net for a volley, Alcaraz would catch him out with incredible passing shots.
Embed from Getty ImagesCarlos Alcaraz won the final in five sets, becoming the youngest player ever to win a Grand Slam on all three different surfaces at the age of 21.
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