Novak Djokovic stands alone at the pinnacle of men’s tennis after defeating Casper Ruud to win his 23rd grand slam title at the French Open.

Since claiming his first at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic has been pursuing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal through the history books but now he has surpassed both having broken the record he jointly held with Nadal.

Djokovic’s 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5 victory over Ruud draws him level with Serena Williams and he could equal Margaret Court’s all-time singles mark at Wimbledon next month.

The Serbian, meanwhile, also becomes the first man ever to win at least three slam titles at all the major tournaments – a measure of his all-round greatness.

Ruud had impressed in making it back to the final, where he won only six games against Nadal last year, and was looking for his first title in his third final having also lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.

He had failed to win a set in four previous matches against Djokovic, though, and missed his chance here in an 81-minute opener before the Serbian pulled away for his 21st consecutive slam victory.

This was the most humid day of the fortnight and, with black clouds looming, it appeared the match would be played under the roof on Philippe Chatrier only for the cover to be removed just before the start.

Ruud’s best chance was to make a fast start and take advantage of the nerves Djokovic would surely be feeling so close to a goal he has been pursuing relentlessly for years.

On his only previous shot at striking out on his own, at the US Open in 2021, he had rather frozen in sight of the line, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Ruud had read the script and came out sharp, exploiting Djokovic’s unusually leaden footwork with high shots to push his opponent back and breaking in the second game when the Serbian shanked a smash – the one remaining weakness in his game.

Djokovic had NFL great Tom Brady in his player box, while Kylian Mbappe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were also in the crowd, and they witnessed Djokovic claw his way back, breaking in the seventh game after a punishing rally that ended with Ruud netting an overhead.

Djokovic refused to miss in another long rally after Ruud created a break point in the next game, but it was the third seed cursing himself for a missed opportunity at 4-4, with his irritation compounded when he lost his balance and fell sprawling to the clay.

Djokovic also complained vociferously to the umpire about the quick turnaround between games as the set extended beyond the hour mark.

The longer it went on, the more important it became to win it, and Ruud was two points away on Djokovic’s serve after winning a point with a tweener lob but that was as close as he would come.

One of Djokovic’s greatest strengths is the ability to raise his level at key moments and he won an absurd sixth tie-break of the tournament without making a single unforced error.

Given Djokovic had won his previous 100 slam matches once he had taken the opening set, it was a crushing blow for Ruud, and that was compounded when he dropped serve in the second game of the second set.

Djokovic now looked fully settled, with his forehand purring, and, although Ruud saved two set points at 2-5, the door was firmly shut in his face in the next game.

Ruud was now clinging on by his fingernails but he was determined not to allow Djokovic to run away with it, as Nadal had last year.

The Norwegian found a better rhythm on his serve and applied some pressure to Djokovic, although he was left cursing his luck when his opponent benefited from a lucky netcord down 0-30 at 3-4, giving the French crowd a final chance for a round of booing.

The question seemed to be when Djokovic would make his move, though, and it came at 5-5, a series of superlative groundstrokes earning him the break, and moments later his moment of history.

Nadal was among the first to hail the Serbian, tweeting: “Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole. 23 is a number that just a few years back was imposible to think about, and you made it! Enjoy it with your family and team!”

Iga Swiatek could end her French Open career with a record to rival Rafael Nadal’s, tournament director Amelie Mauresmo believes.

The Pole cemented her status as one of the best women’s players on clay in recent decades by winning her third title in four years just after her 22nd birthday.

That matches the career progression of Nadal almost to the day, although Swiatek has one US Open title while the Spaniard won on his first four visits to Roland Garros.

“Her record is very impressive, just like Rafa’s record was when he started,” said former world number one Mauresmo.

“Three titles in four editions is huge, it’s very impressive. I think we’re still a little bit far away from the 14 titles but, when Rafa started, no-one also thought he would get to 14 so anything can happen.”

Swiatek found herself really tested for the first time in a grand slam final, twice coming from a break down in the deciding set to beat Karolina Muchova 6-2 5-7 6-4.

She is not looking too far ahead, saying: “I’m just happy with what happened during these past few weeks. I don’t know what I’m capable of.

“So I will work day by day to play the best game possible and to develop as a player. I’m not setting any crazy records or goals for myself. I know that keeping it cool is the best way to do it for me. I’m trying more to do that.”

Swiatek has not had things all her own way this season, with a couple of injuries disrupting her schedule, while Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have raised their game to create what has been described as a big three of women’s tennis.

Sabalenka could have overtaken Swiatek in the rankings in Paris, and the Belarusian will have high hopes of doing so on the grass, where she has been much stronger than her rival in the past.

Swiatek did not shy away from talking herself up in comparison to Sabalenka and Rybakina, saying: “I look at my clay-court season and I see on every tournament I really played consistently.

“I reached quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals, I won Stuttgart, I won this tournament. I’m just focused on myself and I don’t care about the other two players.”

For Muchova, it was a bitter-sweet experience, with the Czech handling herself extremely well in her first grand slam final but falling short when the match looked like it was almost in her grasp.

What will give a lot of confidence to the 26-year-old, who will be ranked at a career-high 16 on Monday, is that clay is her least favourite surface.

“I wouldn’t expect it that much on the clay, honestly,” she said. “I look forward to playing on the grass, on the fast surfaces. It’s just nice to know that I can play on the clay great as well.

“This was my last clay tournament. It could have ended up a little bit better, but it was still pretty great.”

It was one of the best endings to a women’s grand slam in recent years, with both semi-finals bringing high quality and drama before a very good final.

There has been a lot of focus again in Paris on the scheduling, with the one-match night session featuring women only once for the second year in a row.

Mauresmo defended the decision-making, insisting other slots considered prime time featured more women’s matches this year.

Organisers do not want matches finishing in the early hours of the morning like they routinely do at the Australian Open and US Open, and Mauresmo admitted the possibility of a quick two-set women’s contest is a key factor in favouring men.

Swiatek, meanwhile, revealed she prefers playing in the day and had requested not to play at night.

“This doesn’t make also our life easier,” said Mauresmo. “I’m comfortable with the scheduling in the day but, yes, we can do better on the night matches.”

Yanina Wickmayer came out on top after a three-set battle with Katie Swan to win the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

Wickmayer prevented Swan from securing the British number one spot after coming back from a set down to win 2-6 6-4 7-6 (1) weeks before both players head to Wimbledon.

The pair were not deterred by the Surbiton heat as they battled at a high intensity with lengthy exchanges which resulted in Swan taking a 4-2 lead in the first set.

And Swan’s serve proved to be a decisive weapon early on as Wickmayer struggled to deal with the 24-year-old’s precision which allowed her to be on the front foot in exchanges before she closed out the first set 6-2.

But Wickmayer began to find her feet in the second set as she jostled into a 5-4 lead, with Swan finally beginning to falter at the hands of the 33-year-old.

And the Belgian made no mistake in drawing level after she forced errors out of eighth seed Swan to close out the second set 6-4.

Wickmayer really began to show her class in the final set with some moments of excellence which left her opponent with no answers.

This came in the form of her returns, with her decision to choose placement over power proving to be a masterstroke as she firmed her grip on the tie late on.

Swan managed to take the deciding set to a tie-break but came up short after Wickmayer stormed into a 6-1 lead before she rounded off the set to be crowned champion.

In a court-side interview broadcast by the LTA, Swan said: “I feel like it was a high-level match all the way through.

“It was tough because as soon as I dropped my levels slightly she was all over me and I had to maintain that for as long as I could. It was so tough but it was really high level overall.

“She is in unbelievable shape, I don’t know how she can be that good after having a baby. I think it’s incredible what she’s doing.”

Iga Swiatek gained new-found belief in her own strength after coming through an intense struggle to beat Karolina Muchova and complete her French Open hat-trick.

The 22-year-old Pole cemented her status as the best female player in the world, particularly on clay, with her third title in four years at Roland Garros.

But this was by some distance the hardest of her grand slam finals, with unseeded Czech Muchova battling back from a set and 3-0 down to force a decider.

Muchova twice led by a break in that but Swiatek refused to be beaten, eventually prevailing 6-2 5-7 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes and crouching down on the clay in tears.

“I’m feeling all these different emotions right now,” said Swiatek. “It’s pretty surreal, everything. But the match was really intense, a lot of ups and downs. Stressful moments and coming back. So I’m pretty happy that at the end I could be solid in those few last games and finish it.

“But Karolina really played well. It was a big challenge. I’m happy and really proud of myself that I did it.

“This one, for sure, it was a little bit tougher in terms of injuries and the pressure, and also coming back to this tournament as a defending champion.

“I’m happy that I finished the whole clay court swing so well and that I kind of survived. I guess I’m never going to doubt my strength again.”

Swiatek is the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay and joins Naomi Osaka on four grand slam titles – veteran Venus Williams with seven is the only active player to hold more.

Swiatek equals Osaka and Monica Seles, meanwhile, as the only women in the open era to win each of their first four slam finals.

Muchova, a 26-year-old ranked 43, produced the performance of her life to beat second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, saving a match point and fighting back from 5-2 down in the deciding set.

She made a slow start and it looked set to be another comfortable ride in a slam final for Swiatek but from 3-0 in the second set the momentum shifted.

Muchova began to impose her clever game a lot more on the match while Swiatek tightened up, double-faulting to hand her opponent the chance to serve for the set at 5-4.

Muchova could not take her first opportunity but another shaky game from Swiatek gave her a second chance and this time she made it over the line, clinching her third set point after a stunning all-court rally.

Muchova has struggled badly with injuries during her career and it was only last year that doctors told her she might have to give up the game.

She rode her momentum at the start of the decider by moving into a 2-0 lead as Swiatek threatened to implode but the 22-year-old pulled herself together quickly to level.

They exchanged breaks again in the seventh and eighth games and Swiatek regained the ascendancy when she fought off another break point to hold for 5-4.

The pressure of serving to stay in the contest proved too much for Muchova, who made three errors before double-faulting on match point in a cruel end to an absorbing final.

Swiatek said: “I felt pretty confident with my game in the second set but I also knew that it’s only one break. So I needed to stay constantly aware and ready for everything, especially playing against Karolina, knowing that she’s come back from really crazy situations in this tournament.

“In the third set I didn’t want to have any regrets about the second. I just kind of looked forward, and I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m just going to give it all. No thinking, no analysing, just play my game, use my intuition’, and that really helped.”

Muchova was overcome with emotion at the trophy ceremony while Swiatek had to have two goes at lifting the trophy after dropping the lid on the first attempt.

“I honestly felt like I’m holding it with my finger, so I guess all these emotions caused that,” said the Pole.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I’m glad that Suzanne Lenglen trophy is fine and it won’t happen again probably, but we’ll see. I just hope I’m going to have a chance to hold it again in future years.”

Muchova was left with mixed emotions, saying: “The feeling is a little bitter, because I felt it was very close, a close match.

“But overall, to call myself a grand slam finalist, it’s an amazing achievement, and for sure big motivation for me to work in the future and to get a chance again to play for these big titles.”

Iga Swiatek survived her biggest grand slam final test yet to lift the French Open trophy for a third time.

The Pole withstood a Karolina Muchova fightback to triumph 6-2 5-7 6-4, claiming her third title in four years in Paris and fourth slam overall.

There was British success for Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid in the men’s wheelchair doubles and Andy Lapthorne in the quad wheelchair doubles.

Picture of the dayTweet of the dayPoint of the dayStat of the day

Seventeen-year-old Tokito Oda defeated Hewett 6-1 6-4 to win the men’s wheelchair singles title.

Future stars

The junior titles were decided on Saturday, with 15-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva making it back-to-back grand slam successes, while Croatian Dino Prizmic ended his junior career with his first slam trophy.

Who’s up next?

Novak Djokovic bids for sporting immortality in the men’s singles final on Sunday.

The 36-year-old will aim to become the first man ever to win 23 grand slam singles titles, while he would also be the first man to win all the majors at least three times.

Standing in his way is Norwegian Casper Ruud, who is going for a first slam crown in his third final.

Andy Lapthorne was furious to miss out on watching his beloved West Ham win a European title but secured compensation in the form of a second French Open trophy.

The Londoner teamed up with South African Donald Ramphadi to beat Heath Davidson and Robert Shaw 1-6 6-2 (10-3) in the quad wheelchair doubles final.

Lapthorne had tickets for the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday, and said: “I was absolutely fuming with the tournament referee here. He’s not going to hear the end of that for a long time, because he didn’t let me know that we wouldn’t be playing on the day of the game.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andy Lapthorne (@andylapthorne_)

“If I would have known that, I would have been on a plane to Prague. But we won. That’s all that matters, and I was absolutely buzzing. I go to most games, home and away, and been going with my dad and my brother for donkey’s years and we’ve never won anything.

“To see my dad and my brother get to experience that on Wednesday was very special, very emotional. I can’t wait to get home to celebrate that. Was inspiring and just so pleased for everyone involved.

“We’re back in Europe again next year so I’ll be going and following the team all over the place again and complaining about disabled access in places like Serbia and stuff again.”

Lapthorne and Ramphadi toppled the first and second seeds to win the title, giving the British player his 16th slam title overall and the South African his first on his 30th birthday.

“It’s been a tough few weeks in my personal life,” said 32-year-old Lapthorne. “I don’t need to go into it, but it’s been very difficult. This game sometimes has a way of reminding you why you love it.”

Alfie Hewett missed out on a fourth singles title at Roland Garros and lost his world number one ranking to Japanese teenager Tokito Oda but teamed up with Gordon Reid to win the doubles for the fourth year in a row.

An emotional Oda, 17, produced a brilliant display on Philippe Chatrier to win 6-1 6-4, ending Hewett’s hopes of winning three slam singles titles in a row.

Hewett and Reid have dominated the doubles category in recent years and won their 17th title together and 12th in the last 14 tournaments by beating Martin De La Puente and Gustavo Fernandez 7-6 (9) 7-5.

Hewett said: “I’m happy to finish the day on a good note. It’s never easy to come off the back of a grand slam final loss and within a couple of hours go again. I struggled a little bit with my emotions. In the end it was OK but I’m exhausted now.”

Iga Swiatek fought off a Karolina Muchova comeback to complete a hat-trick of French Open titles.

The 22-year-old Pole cemented her status as the best female player in the world, particularly on clay, with her third title in four years at Roland Garros.

But this was by some distance the hardest of her grand slam finals, with unseeded Czech Muchova battling back from a set and 3-0 down to force a decider.

Muchova twice led by a break in that but Swiatek refused to be beaten, eventually prevailing 6-2 5-7 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes and crouching down on the clay in tears.

She is the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay and joins Naomi Osaka on four grand slam titles – veteran Venus Williams with seven is the only active player to hold more.

Swiatek joins Osaka and Monica Seles, meanwhile, as the only women in the open era to win each of their first four slam finals.

Muchova, a 26-year-old ranked 43, produced the performance of her life to beat second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, saving a match point and fighting back from 5-2 down in the deciding set.

But Swiatek had both the experience and a formidable record in finals to bolster her confidence, while Muchova was through to this stage for the first time.

She made a very nervous start and it appeared Swiatek may come up against little resistance but Muchova got on the board in the fourth game and the rest of the first set was competitive.

The Czech showcased the variety she has in her game against Sabalenka, keeping the Australian Open champion off balance with her court craft and willingness to come to the net, and she produced some standout moments here.

There were just too many unforced errors, though, while Swiatek was able to keep her favoured position in the middle of the baseline and dictate with her heavy forehand.

A second break of serve gave Swiatek the opening set, making her the first player, male or female, to win their first seven sets in grand slam finals.

When she moved 3-0 ahead again in the second, it seemed number eight was not far away, but Muchova dug in and broke Swiatek for the first time in the fifth game with a brilliant running forehand.

The majority of the crowd was willing her to extend Swiatek further and suddenly it was the Pole feeling the tension, with a double fault handing Muchova the chance to serve for the set.

She could not take it but another shaky game from Swiatek gave her a second chance and this time she made it over the line, clinching her third set point after a stunning all-court rally.

Muchova has struggled badly with injuries during her career and it was only last year that doctors told her she might have to give up the game.

She rode her momentum at the start of the decider by moving into a 2-0 lead as Swiatek threatened to implode but the 22-year-old pulled herself together quickly to level.

They exchanged breaks again in the seventh and eighth games, with Muchova unable to pull away, and Swiatek regained the ascendancy when she fought off another break point to hold for 5-4.

The pressure of serving to stay in the contest proved too much for Muchova, who made three errors before double-faulting on match point in a cruel end to an absorbing final.

Andy Murray battled past defending champion Jordan Thompson 7-6 (5) 6-3 to book his place in the final of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

Two-time former Wimbledon champion Murray – who has taken a wildcard entry for next week’s Rothesay Open Nottingham – looked in control of the first set when, helped by a fine backhand volley, he moved into a 3-0 lead.

Australian Thompson, though, regrouped to capitalise on some unforced errors by Murray to break back and then level the match at 3-3.

Murray held to love to leave Thompson serving to stay in the set, which he eventually did after fending off a fightback having been 40-15 ahead.

Murray faced more pressure in an important hold at 6-5 and Thompson then held to love to force a tie-break.

Murray took a 2-0 lead with an early mini-break and moved 4-1 up after stretching to make a wide return.

Thompson, though, broke back to level at 4-4 after a lengthy rally.

As in previous matches, Murray again gave himself a stern talking-to, which helped bring up a set point at 6-5 when Thompson returned into the net and he took advantage by firing down an ace.

There was a flashpoint during a close opening game of the second set. With the scores at deuce, Thompson became frustrated after a call of ‘out’ which came from the crowd, so was overruled by the chair umpire and play went on as Murray took the point.

The Australian continued his complaints to umpire Robert Balmforth as the players sat under umbrellas during a brief rain break.

When play resumed – with a warning to the crowd against further such outbursts – Murray eventually forced home the break and held to lead 2-0.

Murray broke in the fifth game to move 4-1 ahead when Thompson sank another return into the net – and the Australian then got a warning for ball abuse as his frustrations boiled over again.

A love service game moved Murray to the brink of victory but Thompson broke in the eighth game. Murray, though, eventually got the job done when taking a third match point chance to seal a place in Sunday’s final, against either Austrian Jurij Rodionov or Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.

“It was nice to get through in straight sets today,” Murray said in his court-side interview broadcast by the LTA.

“It was a very tight first set then in the second I improved a bit, started hitting the ball a bit better in the back of the court, so hopefully I can continue that tomorrow in the final.

“Jordan is a top grass-court player. He won here last year and made the finals in Nottingham, so he has had some good wins on this surface. I expected a tough one – I definitely got that.

“The last couple of matches have been good, against very good grass-court players, very experienced on this surface, so to come through them is very positive.

“To get the opportunity to play in the final tomorrow is great, I am looking forward to it.

“It has been a while since I won a tournament on home soil and hopefully I can do that tomorrow.”

Novak Djokovic can complete his ascent to the top of tennis history by claiming a 23rd grand slam title at the French Open on Sunday.

Since inserting himself into the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal duopoly, Djokovic has been playing catch-up, but victory over Casper Ruud would see him out on his own as the most successful men’s singles player ever.

And, with Federer retired and Nadal heading in the same direction, it would appear a decisive move.

Djokovic would also become the first man in history to win at least three titles at each slam and would be within one of Margaret Court’s all-time record.

The Serbian arrived in Paris after a less-than-stellar clay-court season but has made no secret of the fact it is the slams that keep him out there and he has once again risen to the occasion when it matters.

After outlasting a cramping Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals to win a 20th consecutive grand slam match, Djokovic said: “I have said it many times this year during the clay season that Roland Garros is where I want to peak on clay, where I want to play my best tennis.

“So I put myself in another really ideal position to win a grand slam. That’s basically what still drives me when I wake up in the morning and think about the season and think about things I want to achieve.

“I won the first grand slam this year and now I’m in the finals of a second one, so I couldn’t ask for more than that.

“As far as all the records that are on the line, it’s flattering, it’s great, but I need to win in order to make sure to be on that list. So I know what I need to do.

“I’ve been very fortunate that most of the matches in tournaments I’ve played in the last few years, there is history on the line. I like the feeling. It’s an incredible privilege to be able to make history of the sport that I truly love and that has given me so much.

“The motivation is very high, as you can imagine. There is one more to go, and hopefully I’ll get my hands on the trophy.”

Djokovic and Ruud have played four times before, with the Norwegian yet to win a set, and there is no doubt he is a huge underdog.

The fourth seed has played himself nicely into form on the Parisian clay, though, to make it back-to-back finals and will be the fresher having defeated Alexander Zverev for the loss of only seven games on Friday.

Zverev believes Ruud can take confidence from Djokovic’s only previous attempt to surpass his great rivals at the US Open in 2021, when nerves got the better of him and he was beaten by Daniil Medvedev.

“Novak is one of the best players in the world, that’s for sure, but, when you’re on the brink of history, I think that adds a little bit of pressure,” said Zverev.

“You remember the US Open final he had with Medvedev after beating me in the semis. The pressure – we are all human. Novak is human. We all feel it. So I think, for Casper, that’s the best scenario, to be honest.”

Ruud is playing in his third slam final in a year having reached the title decider here 12 months ago and at the US Open.

He was given a lesson by idol Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros before losing out in four sets to Alcaraz in New York and hopes he can write a different ending this time.

“It’s going to be tough, for sure,” said the 24-year-old. “He’s playing for his 23rd, I’m playing for my first. So I’m going to just try to play without pressure and just try to enjoy the moment.

“I think that was my mentality last year as well and it didn’t go my way. Obviously I would like to try to do better than last year. Let’s see if I have learned something from the two previous ones that I played.

“It just feels great to be back. I didn’t think or necessarily believe in the beginning of the tournament that I was going to be in the final.”

Katie Swan secured her place in the final of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy, but Katie Boulter’s hopes of an all-British showdown were ended by defeat to veteran Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, Great Britain had three women’s players through to the semi-finals.

Swan was in determined mood for Saturday’s opening match on Centre Court as she completed an impressive 6-1 6-0 victory over British number seven Lily Miyazaki in just over an hour.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LTA (@lta)

The 24-year-old, who had knocked out first seed Tatjana Maria in the last round, built on an early break to swiftly open up a 5-0 lead before closing out the opening set.

It remained one-way traffic in the second as Swan kept the pressure on Miyazaki’s serve with three straight breaks.

Miyazaki looked like she would break back in the sixth game, but Swan – who can secure the British number one spot by going on to win the title – twice recovered to level at deuce before clinching the match when a return went into the net.

“Today was probably one of the best matches I’ve played in my career – it was near perfect,” Swan said in her court-side interview broadcast by the LTA.

“I am really happy that I was able to produce that and I can’t wait to play in the final tomorrow.”

Boulter was in pole position to go on and cement her place as British number one, but Wickmayer proved too strong as the 33-year-old closed out a 6-3 6-2 win.

The opening set remained on serve with no break opportunities until the eighth game when Wickmayer capitalised on some wayward returns from Boulter to take a decisive lead and then close things out 6-3.

Boulter made an important hold in the first game of the second set, but the Belgian kept the pressure on to break in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead as another return from the Briton flew wide.

Wickmayer – who won the doubles title with Sophie Chang on Friday – held and then battled back from 15-40 down to break Boulter again in the seventh game.

Although Boulter saved one match point, it was only delaying the inevitable as a return into the net saw Wickmayer progress to Sunday’s final against Swan.

“I am really enjoying my time on the grass, so am really happy to have gotten a lot of matches this week,” Wickmayer said following her win.

“I am really happy to be in another final here and just going to enjoy one more.”

Andy Murray will continue his preparations for Wimbledon by playing at the Rothesay Open Nottingham next week.

The former world number one has taken a wildcard entry for the challenger event after selecting to play there rather than at the Stuttgart Open.

Murray, who has advanced to the semi-finals of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy this weekend, last year chose to play in Stuttgart and beat top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios on his way to the final before losing to Matteo Berrettini.

He had been weighing up a return to Germany, but had said he was tempted by Nottingham as it would cut down on travel, while the playing surface is more similar to Queen’s and Wimbledon.

British number two Dan Evans, who has won the title in two of the last three editions, had already been confirmed for Nottingham.

Murray reached the last four in Surbiton with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Australian Jason Kubler on Friday.

Andy Murray has set his eyes on the Lexus Surbiton Trophy final after he beat Australian Jason Kubler to advance into the last four.

Murray fought back from a set down to beat Kubler 3-6 6-3 6-4 and showed signs of his best as the two-time Wimbledon champion progressed into the competition’s penultimate day for the second straight year.

The second seed, who fell at the semi-final stage in 2022, credited his opponent after their two-hour battle which furthered Murray’s hopes of earning a seed for next month’s Wimbledon championships.

The 36-year-old said: “I knew it was going to be hard. He (Kubler) played well and has a lot of variety in his game and was one of the best juniors in the world but has had some problems with injuries.

“He has beaten some good players, he likes to play on this surface so I was not expecting an easy one. Having to come back from a set down against a player as good as him on these sorts of courts is a positive.

“I did fine, it was very windy and gusty a lot so tough to feel great when it is like that, but I did well in the important moments.

“Most of the tournaments you play on tour are in purpose-built facilities whereas coming here, you all love tennis and are probably members, so it’s always nice to play at clubs like this.

“It has been a good run so far and hopefully I can go a bit further than last year.”

Murray will face the defending champion Jordan Thompson in Saturday’s semi-final.

But before then he needs to decide where he will play next week, with his options being the Rothesay Open in Nottingham or the Stuttgart Open.

The Briton enjoyed last year’s event in Germany, where he beat top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and eventual Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios before losing to Italian Matteo Berrettini in the final.

He added: “I need to make a decision whether I will go to Nottingham or Stuttgart. There’s pros and cons to both, they’re both good decisions.

“There are higher rewards in Stuttgart and Nottingham there’s less travel and the courts are probably a little more similar to Queen’s and Wimbledon.

“I feel like I should be playing at the highest level that I can and competing on the tour is ultimately what I want to do.

“I liked the tournament in Stuttgart last year – I played really well there so I wish I could make a decision after the next couple of days, but it has to be tonight.”

Carlos Alcaraz admitted tension got the better of him after he was hobbled by cramp in his hotly-anticipated French Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

The 20-year-old had just won an electrifying second set to level the contest and looked like he might be grabbing the ascendancy when, after hitting a return in the second game of the third, his whole body seized up.

Alcaraz managed to carry on but won only one more game as Djokovic triumphed 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 to reach a 34th grand slam final.

The Spaniard did look a lot more anxious than usual at the start of the biggest match in men’s tennis for a year and, asked what had caused the cramp, he said: “The tension of the match.

“I started the match really nervous. The tension of the first set, the second set, it was a really intense two sets, as well. I have never felt something like I did today. I have never felt that tension that I did in that match.

“I disappointed myself, and in a match like this, coming to this match with great feeling, feeling great physically, and cramping at the end of the second set, beginning of the third set. It was really disappointing.”

This was only the second time Djokovic and Alcaraz had played each other and the first at a slam, with the young Spaniard having prevailed in Madrid last year.

The 16-year age gap was the biggest in any Roland Garros semi-final in the open era and it seemed a pivotal match in the generational battle going on in men’s tennis as well as for Djokovic’s hopes of pulling away from his rivals at the top of the all-time lists.

“It’s not easy to play against Novak,” said Alcaraz, who won a series of long matches to claim his first grand slam title at the US Open last year, where Djokovic was absent because of his vaccination status.

“If someone says that he gets into the court with no nerves playing against Novak, he lies.

“Of course, playing a semi-final of a grand slam, you have a lot of nerves, but even more with facing Novak. Next time that I’m going to face Novak, I hope to be different, but the nerves will be there.”

Djokovic was the better player in the first set but the second was a tremendous contest, with Alcaraz showcasing his spectacular brand of tennis, not least a stunning winner in the third game when he chased back towards his own baseline and somehow flicked the ball inside the sideline on the turn.

Djokovic was the first to call the trainer for treatment to his right forearm and Alcaraz broke for 5-3 before holding three set points two games later, but each time his opponent fought back.

Alcaraz did finally take his fourth set point on Djokovic’s serve at 5-6 but several minutes later the match was effectively over.

The Spaniard had to forfeit a game to have treatment, drawing loud and prolonged boos from the crowd when they realised what had happened, but that was the least of his worries.

He could barely move during the rest of the third set and, although he rallied at the beginning of the fourth, it was nowhere near enough to turn it back into a contest.

“I started to cramp in my arm,” explained Alcaraz. “At the beginning of the third set I started to cramp in every part of my body, not only the legs.”

Asked if he considered not finishing the match, the 20-year-old said: “I would have felt sorry about myself if I would retire. I’m in a semi-final of a grand slam. I thought that probably I have one per cent chance to come back.”

Djokovic, who has not lost a slam match for more than a year, will now be an overwhelming favourite to become the first man to win 23 grand slam singles titles in the final on Sunday.

He had sympathy for his opponent, saying: “First and foremost I have to say tough luck for Carlos. At this level, the last thing you want is cramps. I feel for him, I feel sorry and hope he can recover and come back very soon.

“I told him at the net, he knows how young he is. He’s going to win this tournament I’m sure many, many times. He’s an unbelievable player.

“It’s tough obviously for him to not know whether he should finish the match but congratulations to him for the fighting spirit.

“Towards the end of the second set I wasn’t feeling fresh at all. We went toe to toe and then this thing happened. I just tried to stay focused. I saw that he’s struggling but I didn’t want to think too much what’s going on on the other side of the net.

“I’m incredibly proud to reach another final.”

Not for the first time this fortnight, Djokovic was booed on several occasions throughout the match, including when he celebrated winning points in the fourth set.

“I don’t mind,” he said with a wry smile. “It’s not the first (time), probably not the last. I’ll just keep winning.”

Andy Murray fought back from a set down to beat Jason Kubler and reach the semi-finals of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

The 36-year-old, the last remaining British man in the singles, scraped past the Australian 3-6 6-3 6-4 as he continued his preparations for Wimbledon next month .

Murray, who is ranked 43 in the world and needs to climb 11 spots in order to be seeded at his home grand slam, will now face another Australian, Jordan Thompson, for a place in Sunday’s final.

Both Murray and Kubler battled at a high intensity despite the heat and the 30-year-old’s fast serve paid dividends as he took an early 3-2 lead which left the three-time slam winner frustrated as he failed to find any rhythm.

Kubler replicated Wednesday’s first set dominance over Britain’s Ryan Peniston as Murray struggled to deal with his opponent’s shot selection and the Scot was made to scramble across the turf before losing the opening set 6-3.

The former world number one appeared rejuvenated by the home support, though, and it finally felt like he was beginning to find his feet after taking a 2-1 lead in the second set, only to be pegged back to 2-2.

Kubler voiced his satisfaction through a loud “come on” as the game approached the hour mark with the second set now locked at 3-3.

Murray responded with a frustrated groan as the world number 69 began to ramp up the pressure with powerful serves and verbal celebrations.

However, Kubler’s shouts ebbed away as second seed Murray’s precision started to force errors and the home favourite eased into a 5-3 lead before an ace saw him claim the last game to bring the tie level.

Murray started the third set where he left off and cruised into a two-game lead despite his remonstrations with the umpire over a Kubler shot which was called in.

Kubler was one point from pulling a game back but the experienced Murray came out on top after a series of exciting rallies as he stormed into a 3-0 lead and seemingly on course for victory.

But, fresh from a medical break, Kubler’s forehand shots began to fizz past a helpless Murray as the Australian’s never-say-die attitude began to shine through and he clawed the score back to 3-2.

Both players’ serves were important weapons on the day and it was further demonstrated when Murray found himself serving for the match at 5-4.

Murray’s power mixed with his deft slice left Kubler with no answers as he succumbed to the quality of his opponent as the two-time Wimbledon champion claimed victory.

Earlier, Katie Boulter fought off Swiss opponent Viktorija Golubic to win in straight sets 7-5 6-2 to progress to a last-four showdown with Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer .

Victory for Boulter confirmed her place as British number one for the first time at the expense of the injured Emma Raducanu.

Isabelle Lacy’s campaign came to an end when the 16-year-old fell to fellow Briton Yuriko Miyazaki 6-3 6-0.

Miyazaki advanced to the semi-finals where she will face compatriot Katie Swan, who batted back to beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 3-6 6-3 6-4.

It is the first time that three British women have reached the last four in the tournament’s history.

Andy Murray fought back from a set down to beat Jason Kubler and reach the semi-finals of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

The 36-year-old, the last remaining British man in the singles, scraped past the Australian 3-6 6-3 6-4 as he continued his preparations for Wimbledon next month .

Murray, who is ranked 43 in the world and needs to climb 11 spots in order to be seeded at his home tournament, will now face another Australian, Jordan Thompson, for a place in Sunday’s final.

Both Murray and Kubler battled at a high intensity despite the heat and the 30-year-old’s fast serve paid dividends as he took an early 3-2 lead which left the three-time grand slam winner frustrated as he failed to find any rhythm.

Kubler replicated Wednesday’s first set dominance over Britain’s Ryan Peniston as Murray struggled to deal with his opponent’s shot selection and the Scot was made to scramble across the turf before losing the opening set 6-3.

The former world number one appeared rejuvenated by the home support, though, and it finally felt like he was beginning to find his feet after taking a 2-1 lead in the second set, only to be pegged back to 2-2.

Kubler voiced his satisfaction through a loud “come on” as the game approached the hour mark with the second set now locked at 3-3.

Murray responded with a frustrated groan as the world number 69 began to ramp up the pressure with powerful serves and verbal celebrations.

However, Kubler’s shouts ebbed away as second seed Murray’s precision started to force errors and the home favourite eased into a 5-3 lead before an ace saw him claim the last game to bring the tie level.

Murray started the third set where he left off and cruised into a two-game lead despite his remonstrations with the umpire over a Kubler shot which was called in.

Kubler was one point from pulling a game back but the experienced Murray came out on top after a series of exciting rallies as he stormed into a 3-0 lead and seemingly on course for victory.

But, fresh from a medical break, Kubler’s forehand shots began to fizz past a helpless Murray as the Australian’s never-say-die attitude began to shine through and he clawed the score back to 3-2.

Both players’ serves were important weapons on the day and it was further demonstrated when Murray found himself serving for the match at 5-4.

Murray’s power mixed with his deft slice left Kubler with no answers as he succumbed to the quality of his opponent as the two-time Wimbledon champion claimed victory.

Earlier, Katie Boulter fought off Swiss opponent Viktorija Golubic to win in straight sets 7-5 6-2 to progress to a last-four showdown with Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer .

Victory for Boulter confirmed her place as British number one for the first time at the expense of the injured Emma Raducanu.

Isabelle Lacy’s campaign came to an end when the 16-year-old fell to fellow Briton Yuriko Miyazaki 6-3 6-0.

Miyazaki advanced to the semi-finals where she will face compatriot Katie Swan, who batted back to beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 3-6 6-3 6-4.