ALCARAZ REACHES FIRST FINAL
The Spaniard beats Jannik Sinner in a pulsating five-setter
Carlos Alcaraz reached his first French Open final by beating Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday, making the 21-year-old from Spain the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam title match on three surfaces.
Alcaraz won the
U.S. Open in 2022 on hard courts, Wimbledon in 2023 on grass and now will play for the championship on the red clay at Roland Garros.
The No. 3-seeded Alcaraz will face No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 7 Casper Ruud in Sunday's final.
Alcaraz kept falling behind in his semifinal and kept turning things around. Before dealing with some physical issues that required multiple visits from a trainer, Sinner led by a break and a set at 2-0 in the second.
Then the second-seeded Sinner went up two sets to one. But Alcaraz never wavered, often using drop shots sometimes to win points outright, sometimes to set up curling lobs, sometimes to pave the way for slick passing shots - and his big forehand to eventually take control.
Sinner entered the semifinals with a 13-0 record in Grand Slam play in 2024 after winning the Australian Open in January, and he will move up to the No. 1 in the ATP rankings for the first time next week despite Friday's semifinal loss. Swiatek faces Paolini
The contrasts between the French Open finalists are obvious: Iga Swiatek, who turned 23 last week, already owns four Grand Slam titles, including three in Paris. Jasmine Paolini, 28, had never been past the second round at any major tournament until this season.
Entering Saturday, Swiatek is on a 20-match winning streak at Roland Garros as she pursues a third consecutive championship on the red clay, and the Polish star's career record at the place is 34-2. Paolini was 3-5 at the French Open until this six-win run over the past two weeks.
Swiatek has spent nearly every week since April 2022 at No. 1 in the WTA rankings and was guaranteed to remain there even if she had lost in the first round in Paris. Paolini is currently No. 15 but is going to make her debut in the top 10 on Monday, no matter what happens against Swiatek on Saturday.
"Iga is an unbelievable player . ... So young, but so many achievements and Grand Slams," Paolini said. "She's doing well week by week, and that's not easy. So I have huge respect for her, but ... my goal is to step on court Saturday and try to enjoy the match and to enjoy that moment."
Swiatek is, indeed, a known quantity. She has 21 career titles in all, including four just this year, when she is 44-4. As of her semifinal victory Thursday over U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, Swiatek's career record is 32570, a winning percentage of .823 - which is quite impressive yet somehow pales in comparison to the .944 she boasts at the French Open.
Asked Thursday what her confidence and comfort level are on clay, Swiatek paused before responding with a shrug, High.
"The surface makes my game better. My grip allows me to spin more. I can play more defense points because it's a bit slower, but on the other hand, I have also more time to attack sometimes," she continued, after being prompted for an explanation. "So I feel like I'm just using it well."
Paolini is more of a late bloomer. She came into 2024 with a losing record as a pro of 78-87 and one career title. But she is 22-10 this year with one trophy.