Sometimes there can be drama – the extraordinary playing style of French Open finalist Carlos Alcaraz

No, Carlos Alcaraz was far from finished. He had just won the semifinal at the French Open in Paris against Lorenzo Musetti, but because the Italian had to retire due to a thigh injury with the score at 4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 2-0, Alcaraz felt somewhat obligated to give something back to the sold-out crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier. It took a whopping twenty minutes before the Spaniard finally disappeared into the catacombs.

Beforehand, the 22-year-old took the time to calmly shake countless hands, sign tennis balls, and take selfies with those who had made it to the bottom of the court. Alcaraz doesn't play that role. He genuinely enjoys it; it's important to him to be approachable in some way. In Paris, he was also seen joking a lot with the ball kids these days.

Alcaraz is still half a child himself, you'd think if you watched him for a while. Whether during training at the Jean Bouin training ground, just a ten-minute walk from the facility, or in these scenes after his matches, he's almost always having a good time and displays that open laugh that is so typical of him.

With his friendly, carefree attitude, Alcaraz has now managed to reach the final of one of the four Grand Slam tournaments for the fifth time. Mindset is one factor, and his outstanding playing ability is the other, distinguishing the four-time major champion. Things didn't look good for the Spaniard at the beginning of the semifinals.

Well into the second set, he committed 24 so-called "unforced errors," those easy and avoidable mistakes so hated in tennis. Musetti also played well, though. He repeatedly lured Alcaraz to the net and then beat him with his signature shot, the one-handed and wonderfully soft backhand. Only late in the second set did Alcaraz take the initiative himself, becoming more willing to take risks and playing his best tennis, of all things, in the tiebreak.

It's a recurring pattern: The truly great players always deliver when it counts. Alcaraz is in no way inferior to his French Open final opponent, Jannik Sinner, in this regard. Even though Musetti's injury played into his hands. Sunday's match between the world No. 1 and No. 2 is the logical final.

Both glided through the tournament at the Stade de Roland Garros. This was especially true for Sinner, who defeated Novak Djokovic in three sets, 6-4, 7-5, and 7-6, in his semifinal on Friday evening. But Alcaraz also had some turbo victories in his repertoire. He needed just an hour and a half to seal his 6-0, 6-1, and 6-4 victory against Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.

One thing is already clear: A lack of energy won't determine victory or defeat in the final. Neither Alcaraz nor Sinner have had to exceed the anaerobic threshold in their previous French Open matches. This is even more important for the Spaniard than for Sinner, as Alcaraz is prone to muscle injuries from time to time—and this is perhaps his only disadvantage as a tennis player.

The extremely well-trained 22-year-old always has to be careful to keep his body in top shape during a long tournament. This has been the case so far at the Stade de Roland Garros. In addition, Alcaraz – unlike in the past – is no longer thrown off by falling behind. "During a Slam, you always have time to come back. I've never been worried here before. Even when I've lost a set, like today against Musetti," Alcaraz said at the press conference. He added: "I'm also mentally ready to not be unsettled by it; it's a big step in my development."

Staying flexible in your mind, taking the next steps, and overcoming hurdles – this attitude sets you apart from the rest in professional tennis, even at the highest level. The rest are players like Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev, but also Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev. This so-called in-between generation on the tour has long since been overtaken left and right by Alcaraz and Sinner.

In his exciting and varied game, Alcaraz, known in his hometown of Murcia as "Carlitos," or little Carlos, has no weaknesses. He's a risk-taker and possesses an exceptional feel for the ball, which is particularly evident when he throws in this seamless forehand drop shot. He's in forward motion, putting his entire body weight into this shot, which seems like a ballet figure.

After a loss in Madrid 2022, Novak Djokovic once said of his second major weapon, the kick serve, that he had never seen a ball bounce so high. Alcaraz also wins his matches with a lot of drama. With Sinner, everything seems more rational and follows a precise match plan. Alcaraz once said of his attitude to tennis: "Playing tennis should never be a chore."

It never looks like that with him. Even his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, feels the same way as everyone else who has watched his student for years: "I have fun watching him – but as his coach, I should actually be suffering." Can you really go into a major final with this easy-going attitude? Alcaraz is certainly capable of it. He certainly didn't show any signs of nervousness before the French Open final.

It's just a guess, but perhaps it's also due to the fact that he surprisingly defeated his tough Italian rival in straight sets in their last encounter in the final of the Masters in Rome. At times, the world number one seemed helpless. Things like that stick with you. "I know I can bring a lot of intensity to my matches. That gives me confidence. I'm very calm right now," Alcaraz said after reaching the final.

Sinner may be "destroying" everyone on the court right now, but even if he, Alcaraz, loses, he can still learn something from it. "Of course it will be tough. But these matches show you what you need to do better. So that's a good thing." It's precisely this attitude that makes Alcaraz a champion.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »