On Friday, the two players advanced to the championship match of the world’s second Grand Slam with relatively comfortable wins in the semi-finals on the Parisian clay courts.

Alcaraz needed slightly more than three sets in his semi-final against the 8th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.

Musetti claimed the first set before Alcaraz fought back to take the second. He then went on to win the next eight games in a row before the Italian was forced to retire due to injury. Alcaraz advanced with a 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 walkover victory.

Following his win, Alcaraz conceded that he was put to the test by the Italian and had to dig deep to position himself for the win. “It’s never easy to win a match like this,” said Alcaraz.

“Lorenzo is a great player and has had an incredible clay season. He is one of the few players to have reached at least the semi-finals in the biggest events on clay.

That shows how incredible he is. I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to enjoy his tennis again very soon.”

Jannik Sinner. Photo: Roland Garros/Julien Crosnier/FFT

In Friday’s second semi-final, Sinner needed just over three hours on court to end Novak Djokovic’s quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.

While Djokovic has never been a player to give up the fight, Sinner was simply too strong for the 6th-seeded Serbian, claiming victory with a 6–4, 7–5, 7–6 win.

Sinner said that beating the “GOAT” to reach his first-ever Roland Garros final made it all the more special.

“It’s very difficult. He’s achieved so many things; he’s the best player in the history of our sport, and playing against him here is amazing,” said Sinner.

“Of course, I tried not to think about all that, but before going on court, you feel the tension and what’s coming. I always try to prepare in the best possible way and be ready for every situation on court. I’m very happy with how I dealt with that.

“It’s going to be very, very difficult. I know my head-to-head record lately doesn’t look great against Carlos, so we’ll see what I can do. I’m very happy to be in the final.

“Of course, I’ll enjoy these moments – they’re rare and special in my career. This is a very special place for me, and we’ll try to be prepared for the final.”

Coco Gauff. Photo: Roland Garros/Cédric Lecocq/FFT

In their last four meetings, Alcaraz has emerged victorious each time.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, it’s the women’s singles final, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka set to battle second-seeded Coco Gauff.

This final, on Court Philippe-Chatrier, is scheduled to start at 15:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg