Alcaraz advances to Roland-Garros semifinals for third straight year

Carlos Alcaraz secured a place in the French Open 2025 semifinals after a dominant quarterfinal performance over No. 12 seed Tommy Paul, winning 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday, June 3, at Court Philippe-Chatrier. The No. 2 seed required just 52 minutes to capture the first two sets against a visibly hampered Paul, whose movement and shot-making were restricted by a heavily taped right thigh.

Alcaraz compiled a 23-5 winners advantage in the opening two sets and finished with a 40-13 total over Paul. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who is seeking his fifth Grand Slam title, remained consistent throughout the match, holding off a third-set challenge as Paul briefly led 4-3. Alcaraz responded by winning the final three games to complete the victory in just over 90 minutes.

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With the win, Alcaraz became the first defending French Open men’s singles champion to return to the semifinals the following year since Rafael Nadal in 2021. His 2025 season record on red clay now stands at 20-1, and he leads the ATP Tour with 35 match wins and three titles this year.

Lorenzo Musetti to face Alcaraz in semifinal clash

Alcaraz will face No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti in the French Open semifinals. Musetti advanced earlier Tuesday with a four-set victory over No. 15 Frances Tiafoe. The remaining quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Wednesday, featuring No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner against unseeded Alexander Bublik, and No. 3 Alexander Zverev against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Despite the loss, Tommy Paul and fellow American Frances Tiafoe made history as the first American men to reach the French Open quarterfinals in the same year since Jim Courier and Pete Sampras in 1996. Paul was a semifinalist at the 2023 Australian Open, while Tiafoe previously reached the semifinals at the US Open.

Also read: Tennis: Djokovic beats Norrie to join Nadal in French Open century club

US men have continued to struggle against top-ranked players on clay, now holding a combined 1-60 record against top-10 opponents at Roland-Garros since Andre Agassi’s 1999 French Open title.