It was a cruel end for Alcaraz, who endured a physical breakdown until Djokovic won

Novak Djokovic He will play his 34th Grand Slam final this Sunday, his seventh at Roland Garros. Carlos Alcaraz he was a victim of physical problems from the beginning of the third set, and had to bow out 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and 6-1 in 3h.23′.

The Serb will be fighting for his third Roland Garros, record 23rd Grand Slam (he is tied for 22 with Rafael Nadal), against the Norwegian Casper Ruud or the german Alexander Zverev. Victory would also give him the number one that the Murcian could not defend himself, victim of a cruel misfortune on one of the special days in a tennis player’s career.

“It’s unbelievable, it’s not possible, it’s not possible,” lamented Carlos Alcaraz, addressing his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. I know, Johnny. But it’s too early to retire,” the student rebelled.

The match to Novak Djokovic It takes on a cruel dimension for the Murcian, who noticed a strange sensation in his legs in the second game of the third set, after 2h.31′ of a rare semifinal at Roland Garros.

The Murcian leans on his left leg, with his right floating in the air, to return a ball Novak Djokovic. He noticed something strange because he was immediately alarmed. The chair umpire, the French, came down immediately Aurelie Tourteto inquire about his condition, as his rival went to the other side of the track to check what was going on.

The referee explained Alcaraz what the regulations indicate in these cases, as he also had to do later through the public address system when more than 14,000 Philippe Chatrier fans whistled that the Spaniard suddenly lost a game without playing it, to to Djokovic 1-3 and served.

The 20-year-old from Murcia preferred to seek treatment immediately, for the pain of this punishment, rather than wait for the next break. The physiotherapist showed up in an emergency to massage the calf and the thigh of the right leg. “The problem is also here, here and here”, he worried even more Carlos Alcaraz also grabbed his left leg.

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“We are going to make one last attempt,” he said to the ‘trainer’. He endured the whole set, which he logically delivered 1-6, unable to move normally. He then decided to go to the locker room to catch his breath and have them check his physical condition.

He came back full of anger. The people there chanted “Charles, Charles”, trying to motivate the young tennis player, who already had physical problems at the end of last season (stomach) and at the beginning of this season (hamstring right leg). He also continued on the track, lame, against Cameron Norrie in the Rio final.

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He stayed on the pitch, but the match had nothing to do with the extraordinary spectacle of the previous two and a half hours. along with the legendary Djokovic in a very good state and Alcaraz was looking for the road until he found it in two hours and 11 minutes. He did not solve the second set with 5-3 and serve, nor with 0-40, three set points, at 5-4. The match raised by the Serbian, 36 years old and No. 3, deserves the distinction of ‘Big 3’. Carlitos insisted, building another 0-40 to take the second set, balancing the semifinal.

Djokovic was the first to call medical time with Alcaraz 4-3 in the second set. He complains about his right wrist, as if his fingers are asleep.

However, Alcaraz suffered serious injuries. And the semifinal was seen for sentencing. It’s hard CarlitosIt is now pending the true extent of an illness that he needs to explain, because he was treated in both legs and decided to continue in the field even without any option to compete. Novak Djokovic, finishing his qualification, spoke about “cramps. I’m sorry, I hope he recovers and can come back soon.” There was tension and intensity.