Today’s semi-final with Alcaraz vs Djokovic at the French Open is not only a semi-final. It feels like a final. And it also determines who will be number 1.
Alcaraz vs Djokovic
The ATP tour website talks about the ranking battle between Alcaraz and Djokovic. The scenario is the following:
If Alcaraz wins Roland Garros, he will leave Paris with a 2,140-point lead over Djokovic. If Djokovic claims his third Coupe des Mousquetaires, he will lead the Spaniard by 420 points. That is a potential 2,560-point swing. This means that Djokovic must beat Alcaraz and win the final against Zverev or Ruud to become world number one. But I think most tennis nerds agree that the player who wins this semi-final also wins the final. What could stop that kind of plan is if they are physically destroyed after a long battle, which mentally felt like the final…but wasn’t.
Ferrero on the match
Alcaraz coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, said this about the match:
“It’s very good that he’s looking forward to the match,” Ferrero said. “Often, you can get nervous and try to put certain situations off because of the difficulties that may be entailed. Looking forward to it is positive. Over these two days, he’ll try to relax, recover a bit and get to 100%. As always, he needs to be mentally fresh. Nothing more.”
“Novak is one of the best of all time,” Ferrero reiterated. “Obviously he’s going to make a match of it. These types of players find solutions where others don’t. He will study the match, he knows how Carlos plays, and he will come out with a tactic to compete. In terms of attitude, I don’t think he will give in at any point. Carlos’ speed is very, very good. If he can maintain that and dominate the match, he will have his chances to come out on top. Djokovic has shown a million times that he is capable of turning impossible matches around. We’re expecting an extremely tough match.”
“We’re doing very well on clay and he’s been doing very well for 20 years,” acknowledged Ferrero. “It’s not the time to pick a favourite. They’re both in great form. Novak is battling to make history and Carlos to reach his second Grand Slam final. They are different goals, but very important ones for both of them.
Alcaraz vs Djokovic, who is your pick?
This one is extremely difficult to predict, but somehow I feel like the youth, energy and explosiveness of Alcaraz will prevail over the experience, cunning and fighting spirit of Djokovic. Still, it is likely going to go down to the wire. There is no better tactician in tennis than Novak, and it will be interesting to see how he tries to disturb Alcaraz’s game.
Who do you think will prevail in the French Open semi-final? And is this match the “true” final?
