Carlos Alcaraz described his five-set French Open semi-final triumph over Jannik Sinner as one of the toughest matches of his career. 

The Spaniard overcame the soon-to-be world number one 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to become just the fifth player in the last 30 years to make the men's singles final at Roland Garros before the age of 22. 

It marks the first time the 21-year-old has reached the final of the competition, also making him the fifth-youngest player to get his fifth win against a top-five opponent in grand slam events since the ATP Rankings were first published in 1973.

Speaking shortly after his win, Alcaraz acknowledged the magnitude of the result but pointed out that he had to suffer to emerge victorious in Paris. 

"You have to find the joy in suffering, that is the key," he said.

"Here on clay at Roland Garros, long rallies, four-hour matches and five sets, you have to suffer, but I was told by my team many times that you have to enjoy suffering."

The pair have enjoyed thrilling encounters in previous meetings, and despite the latest instalment of their flourishing rivalry lasting four hours and 10 minutes, it was not the longest time they have spent together on court, having played for five hours and 15 minutes at the US Open in 2022. 

Alcaraz prevailed in that encounter to reach his maiden major semi-final, going on to win the tournament. He ranks his latest meeting with the Italian among the toughest matches of his career. 

"The toughest matches I have played in my short career have been against Jannik," he said.

"There was the US Open in 2022, this one. That shows the great player that Jannik is, the team that he has as well, and the great work he puts in every day. 

"I hope to play many, many more matches like this one against Jannik, but it was definitely one of the toughest matches I have played in, for sure."

Alcaraz will face either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic has confirmed his knee surgery has been successful following his withdrawal from the French Open earlier this week. 

The Serbian aggravated an injury during his five-set triumph over Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round at Roland-Garros before a scan revealed the extent of the damage sustained. 

Djokovic was due to play Casper Rudd in the quarter-finals as he bid for a fourth French Open crown, but on Tuesday the reigning champion confirmed his withdrawal.

However, the 37-year-old is already eyeing a return to the court as he thanked fans for their support in a post on social media.

Djokovic said: "In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match. I’m still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well.

"I am so appreciative of the team of doctors who have been by my side. As well as the overwhelming support I have received from my fans.

"I’m going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible.

"My love for this sport is strong and the desire to compete at the highest level is what keeps me going."

It ended his hopes of a 25th grand slam title and will also see him lose his world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner, who faces Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Open, at the end of the tournament.

Alexander Zverev has no interest in recovering fitness as the world number four aims to push to an "absolute limit" at the French Open.

The German overcame Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier, progressing to the Roland-Garros semi-finals for a fourth straight year on Wednesday.

Yet that does not tell the whole story as Zverev battled relentlessly to earn his 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph over the Australian world number 11.

Falling 4-0 and 5-1 down in the second-set tie-break, Zverev seemed to afford De Minaur a route back into the match, only for the fourth seed to come crashing back in a response.

Zverev eventually sealed victory in just under three hours of the quarter-final meeting, and has every intention of pushing himself further for the last-four clash with Casper Ruud.

"Everybody in the press keeps asking me what I do for recovery and the answer is very simple – you don't recover after matches, you recover in the off-season," Zverev said in his on-court interview.

"I have the mindset you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player. I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult.

"I've been doing that over many years and I'm happy to be in another semi-final. Hopefully I can win one."

A fourth semi-final appearance in Paris means Zverev will equal Dominic Thiem for the most of any player born since 1990.

Among players with five main draws in the Open Era, Zverev (80.5 per cent) also holds the best winning percentage at Roland-Garros of any player not to have won the singles title at the event.

Ruud will stand in the way of a major final outing for Zverev, who says his battling identity has been embroiled in his mind from a young age.

"I have a coach who's my father who couldn't care less how I feel on the practice court," he added.

"Since I was three years old, it was run here, run there, run for four hours straight. He sometimes forgets I'm two metres tall and can hit a serve 230 kilometres an hour.

"I wish I would be more aggressive sometimes, but if I'm winning, I'm happy."

Alexander Zverev secured his place in the French Open semi-finals for a fourth straight year after overcoming Alex de Minaur on Wednesday.

The world number four will meet Casper Ruud, who progressed with a bye after Novak Djokovic's injury withdrawal, in the last four after a battling 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

De Minaur overcame Daniil Medvedev in the previous round to earn his first Roland-Garros quarter-final appearance, though it was one to forget as his serving – and Zverev's grit – proved the 11th seed's undoing.

Both players traded a break apiece during an entertaining opening in the French capital, only for De Minaur's double fault to hand Zverev the 4-3 advantage to hold his serve and take the first set.

The Australian snatched a crucial break midway through the second set, yet Zverev – who was warned with a time violation by the umpire for taking too long over his serve – saved a set point to keep his hopes alive.

That was a sign of things to come, too, as Zverev once again fought from 4-0 and 5-1 down in the tie-breaker, somehow clinching a 2-0 lead in the match from a seeming point of no return.

Having failed to level in that cruel tie-break defeat, De Minaur managed to break Zverev late in the third set but the former responded immediately to secure a hard-fought win in just under three hours.

Data Debrief: Zverev continues on song

Zverev extended to 11 straight wins after this victory, with that run including his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome two weeks prior to the start of this major.

The German is just the 11th man of the Open Era to reach four consecutive semi-finals at the French Open, where a rested Ruud awaits next.

De Minaur, meanwhile, misses out on the chance to become the first Australian man since Pat Rafter in 1997 to make the last four on Parisian clay.

Jannik Sinner recovered from one set down to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, putting away home favourite Corentin Moutet with a classy display.

A huge upset looked possible when Moutet took the first set and broke early in the second, but Sinner fought back to post a deeply impressive 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 victory.   

Sinner seemed to be caught off-guard by Moutet in the opener, the French showman sinking a series of delicious drop shots with the world number two on his heels.

Moutet carried that momentum into the second set, breaking straight away with his first four winners all being drop shots, yet Sinner soon learned, getting to the net well as he immediately broke back.

That was a theme of the contest from then on, with Sinner making few mistakes with his approach play and dispatching a series of volleys at the net as he took the second set.

Early in the third, it was the Italian pulling out the party tricks as he broke twice more en route to going a set up, much to the annoyance of a raucous crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Moutet threw his racket down after seeing his serve broken again in the first game of the fourth set, and then attempted – in vain – to snap his racket when Sinner converted at the end of a long rally to make it a double break, his outing ending in frustration. 

Data Debrief: All-rounder Sinner in great company

Sinner has become just the third male player since the year 2000 to reach multiple grand slam quarter-finals on every surface before turning 23, after Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

He will face Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals after the 10th seed overcame world number eight Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets on Sunday.

Coco Gauff warned tennis must do more to protect player welfare after Novak Djokovic's remarkable late finish at the French Open on Saturday.

Djokovic edged a five-set thriller with Lorenzo Musetti, battling into the early hours of Sunday in Paris at Roland-Garros.

The third-round marathon finished at 3:08 a.m. local time in the French capital, shattering the tournament's previous latest finish of 1:25 a.m.

After overcoming Elisabetta Cocciaretto to reach the quarter-finals, Gauff lamented the late start times and the problems it could cause for both men and women's players.

"I feel like a lot of times people think you're done, but really at 3 a.m. [you're] probably not going to bed until 5 a.m. at the earliest, maybe 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.," said 2023 US Open women's champion Gauff.

"I definitely think it's not healthy.

"For the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport's best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing or starting after a certain time."

The ATP and WTA tours brought a new ruling in January that matches cannot start after 11 pm local time.

That legislation does not apply to the four majors, though, and hits harder for the men playing best-of-five encounters.

World number one Iga Swiatek, who overcame Anastasi Potapova on Sunday, echoed Gauff's sentiment.

"It's not easy to play and it's not like we're going to fall asleep one hour after the match," said Swiatek.

"[Change] is not up to us. We need to accept anything that is going to come to us."

Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third successive French Open quarter-final, after a commanding straight-sets victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The Spaniard, who has dropped just a single set across his four matches so far, wrapped up a dominant 6-3 6-3 6-1 success in two hours and 20 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Auger-Aliassime, appearing in round four for the second time in three years at Roland-Garros, was affected by a groin issue during the second set, but the 21st seed was no match for an inspired Alcaraz.

After the pair exchanged breaks early in the opening set, the third seed broke in game eight on the way to drawing first blood.

Alcaraz then stole the advantage in the second set when he broke to 15 in game five, and followed suit in the ninth to double his lead.

The reigning Wimbledon champion was going from strength to strength, and raced into a 4-0 lead in set three, before wrapping up another dominant win that sets up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Data Debrief: Three in a row for Carlitos

Aged 21 years and 28 days old, Alcaraz is the youngest player to reach the French Open quarter-finals in three consecutive years since Novak Djokovic (2006 to 2008).

The Spaniard has now won each of the last 36 matches he has played at grand slams against players ranked outside the ATP's top 20.

Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a French Open quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, recovering to beat Matteo Arnaldi in four sets after losing the opening set.

Tsitsipas – a beaten finalist at Roland Garros in 2021 – looked to be in a hole when Arnaldi took the opener within a comfortable 36 minutes, the Italian then racing into a 5-3 second-set lead.

However, the ninth seed saved three set points before flipping the momentum of the match with a crucial break, eventually closing out a 74-minute set in a tie-break.

The Greek produced a composed performance from there as he powered to a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory, with Arnaldi's intensity dropping after he had dictated proceedings with some pinpoint groundstrokes early in the encounter.

Tsitsipas could now reach the French Open semi-finals for just the third time, though he will face a daunting task on Tuesday against Alcaraz, after the Wimbledon champion breezed past Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets.

Data Debrief: Best clay season yet for Tsitsipas  

Tsitsipas entered the French Open in good form, having claimed the Monte-Carlo Masters title before falling just short in the final at Barcelona.

This is now his joint-best start to a clay-court season, having won 17 of his first 20 matches on the surface in 2024, a feat he has only previously achieved in 2021 and 2022. Only in 2021 (23) has he won more matches on clay in a single season overall. 

Novak Djokovic was in the mood for partying after surviving a thriller against Lorenzo Musetti, describing the performance as his greatest French Open showing.

The world number one battled long into the Paris night to secure a 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 2-6 6-3 6-0 victory in four hours and 29 minutes across Saturday and into Sunday.

The third-round marathon finished at 3:08 a.m. local time at Roland-Garros, shattering the tournament's previous latest finish of 1:25 a.m.

This victory also saw Djokovic equal Roger Federer (369) for the most major singles match wins of any male or female player in the Open Era.

"He played a fantastic match and came very close to victory," Djokovic said on court.

"I was in great difficulties but thanks to your support in the fourth set, I became a different player. It was perhaps the best match I have played here."

A stunning fightback also marked Djokovic's 36th five-set win at grand slams – the most of any player in the Open Era.

The 24-time major champion next faces Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, who advanced to the fourth round for the second consecutive year.

Yet before that, the Serbian wanted to celebrate.

"Who's going to sleep now?" Djokovic added. "It's impossible to sleep, so much adrenaline. If you're having a party, I'm coming."

Djokovic must reach the final in the French capital to remain at the top of the ATP rankings, though Jannik Sinner would overtake him regardless if he reaches the showpiece.

Alexander Zverev reached the fourth round of the French Open with a thrilling five-set win over Tallon Griekspoor, finding a second wind after a stirring rally from the Dutchman.

Zverev triumphed 3-6 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-6 (10-3) at the end of a gruelling four-hour, 17-minute contest on Court Philippe-Chatrier, teeing up a last-16 meeting with Holger Rune or Jozef Kovalik.

Zverev looked to have weathered an early storm when he fought back after losing the opener to go 2-1 up, but Griekspoor refused to go away and came roaring back in the fourth set, which lasted almost an hour.

The world number four appeared to be up against it when he was broken in the first game of the decider, and his frustrations got the better of him as he yelled at the umpire before being broken again.

However, he immediately hit back with two breaks of his own to go from 4-1 down to 4-4, eventually forcing a decisive tie-break.

He found another gear from there, sapping Griekspoor's confidence with some excellent play at the net, with a fine passing shot past his stranded opponent a highlight before he clinched victory with an ace. 

Data Debrief: Zverev gathering momentum

Having warmed up for Roland Garros by winning the Italian Open, Zverev has now won nine straight matches on clay for the first time since 2018, when he won 13 consecutive contests on the surface at Munich, Madrid and Rome. 

Carlos Alcaraz dug deep to overcome a spirited performance from Sebastian Korda in the third round of the French Open, claiming a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win.

Korda failed to build on an early break as Alcaraz took the opener on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but he appeared to have the Spaniard on the ropes when he forced a second-set tie-break.

However, the two-time grand slam champion clinched the tie-break with a huge forehand winner and seemed to grow in stature from there, moving well and displaying too much power for his American opponent.

Alcaraz put Korda under pressure from the off in the third set and did not give up a single break point on his own serve, converting the first of two match points with a neat serve and volley.

He will face either Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime next, with Stefanos Tsitsipas potentially lurking in the quarter-finals.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz just too good

As was the case against Jesper de Jong in round two, Alcaraz looked to be under serious pressure on Friday, only to step things up and pull away from his opponent.

He has now won 14 of his 17 singles matches at the French Open, with his win ratio of 82.4 per cent the third highest among active male players, after Rafael Nadal (96.6 per cent) and Novak Djokovic (85.3 per cent). 

Jannik Sinner maintained his excellent form and cruised into the fourth round of the French Open with a dominant win over Pavel Kotov on Friday.

The Australian Open champion won his third successive match without dropping a set at Roland Garros, triumphing 6-4 6-4 6-4 in just under two and a half hours on court.

Sinner – who is eyeing Novak Djokovic's place at the top of the ATP rankings – was on top from the off and forced 13 break points, moving well and forcing the issue with a series of powerful ground strokes.

Early breaks did the trick in sets one and two, and it was smooth sailing once he secured another break five games into the third, teeing up a fourth-round meeting with either Corentin Moutet or Sebastian Ofner.

Data Debrief: Sinner marches on

Sinner has now won his first 10 grand slam matches of 2024, and a deep run looks extremely likely just one year after he suffered a second-round exit in the French capital.

Since the turn of the century, he is just the third man to start a calendar year with 10 straight major wins before turning 23 years old, after Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. 

Novak Djokovic hailed Rafael Nadal as his greatest-ever rival after coasting into round three of the French Open on Thursday.

The world number one had little trouble in overcoming Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 6-1 6-2 in a little over two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Speaking at a news conference after his victory, Djokovic was asked about his long-term foe Nadal, who has possibly played his final tournament at Roland Garros.

Nadal, dubbed the 'King of Clay', was unseeded for the tournament due to a long injury lay-off and was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the first round.

But Nadal's legacy will be forever entrenched in Paris having won the tournament 14 times, including beating Djokovic in three finals in one of tennis' best match-ups.

"He has been the greatest rival that I ever had," said Djokovic, who leads their head-to-head record 30-29.

"Matches against him on clay have frustrated me so much in my career, but they also made me a better player, made me understand what it takes to try to surpass him; try to win at least once or twice at Roland Garros.

"It's the highest mountain to climb for me to win Roland Garros, particularly because of Nadal, because I always have to win against him in order to get to the title. We had some really fantastic matches here."

Alongside Nadal and the great Roger Federer, Djokovic formed men's tennis' big three.

With Federer retired and Nadal in the swansong of his career, Djokovic - now 37 - concedes it is increasingly difficult to find the motivation to keep continuing at such a high level.

"It is becoming a little bit more challenging for me to push myself every single tournament to be really at the top," added Djokovic, who will face Lorenzo Musetti in round three in Paris.

"I did struggle with motivation on a constant basis to always have that motivation I've had for more than 20 years of professional tennis.

"I know the moment is going to arrive sooner or later when I'm just going to, you know, have off weeks, where I'm struggling to push myself or deliver what needs to be delivered. 

"My commitment to practice hasn't gone down. I'm focused pretty much solely on Grand Slams and Olympics this year, and playing for my country." 

Alexander Zverev cruised through to the third round of the French Open with a straight-sets victory over David Goffin on Thursday.

The fourth seed followed up his impressive win over 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in the last round by beating Goffin 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-2 after two hours and 22 minutes on the court.

Zverev was pushed all the way in the opening set before eventually edging it, and his intensity and power carried him through the rest of the match.

Despite making five unforced errors in the second set, the German remained in control and did not face a single break point in the third to advance.

He will play either Tallon Griekspoor or Luciano Darderi in the next round as he continues to chase his first major title. 

Data Debrief: Zverev continues dominance on clay

Zverev has won eight consecutive matches on clay for the first time since 2019, when he won eight between Geneva and Roland Garros. 

This was a significant victory, too, as it is his 90th in Grand Slam events - only Boris Becker and Tommy Haas have more among German players in men's singles. 

Carlos Alcaraz survived a stern examination of his French Open credentials as he overcame qualifier Jesper de Jong in four sets to reach the third round on Wednesday.

The Wimbledon champion looked set for another routine victory when he raced into a two-set lead, but the 23-year-old Dutchman refused to go quietly in a gruelling three-hour, 11-minute contest decided by a 6-3 6-4 2-6 6-2 scoreline.

De Jong, ranked 176th in the world, was given a standing ovation after a brave performance which had Alcaraz on the ropes, finding joy with a series of inventive drop shots.

The momentum seemed to be with him when he claimed an early break in the fourth set, but Alcaraz broke straight back, rediscovering his composure following an angry outburst at his box.

Alcaraz then made it successive breaks as De Jong began to tire, with a series of unforced errors proving costly as the Spaniard took the contest away from him.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz passes important test

Should Alcaraz go on to win his third grand slam title at Roland Garros, he may well look back on Wednesday's match as an important milestone as he was pushed to his limits after an injury-affected few weeks.

He has now won 13 of his first 16 singles matches at the French Open, and either Sebastian Korda or Kwon Soon-woo will await him in the third round.