French Open: I believe in myself all the time, says Carlos Alcaraz after storming into semi-finals

Carlos Alcaraz delivered a dominant performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open 2023, winning 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5) to advance to the semi-finals.

Alcaraz’s victory sets up an exciting showdown against Novak Djokovic. If Alcaraz defeats Djokovic, he will retain his No. 1 ATP Ranking, but a win for Djokovic could see him reclaim the top spot by winning his third Roland Garros title.

In the match against Tsitsipas, Alcaraz displayed his confidence and belief in himself, which he considers crucial to his success. He took control from the start with a powerful display from the baseline, mixing it up with well-placed drop shots that kept Tsitsipas off balance.

“I believe in myself all the time. I would say that’s the most important thing — not only for me, I would say for everyone, believing in yourself,” Alcaraz said on-court when asked about his strong performance.

“I always think that I’m going to play these kind of matches in this level. I would say that’s the key of everything… with a joy. That’s the key.”

Tsitsipas struggled to find answers and was unable to mount a comeback after losing seven consecutive games in the second set. Despite some late resistance from Tsitsipas, Alcaraz closed out the victory in a strong tie-break, securing his place in the semi-finals.

The 20-year-old Alcaraz has been in outstanding form this season, improving his record to 35-3 and maintaining a perfect 5-0 record against Tsitsipas.

“I lost my focus a little bit at the end of the third set,” Alcaraz said. “I had a couple of match points on the return, [and then] serving for the match. He started to play, I would say, better. But of course I lost my focus a little bit.

“I was in trouble. I’m really happy to overcome that problem, still playing a great level, believing in myself, believing that I was going to win the third set. But of course it was really tough at the end of the match.”

Alcaraz’s performance showcased his all-around skills, with powerful forehand winners and exceptional speed to foil Tsitsipas’ drop shots and net approaches. He proved that he is deserving of his top seed status at a Grand Slam for the first time.