What went wrong for Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open? - ESPN
ESPN The exact cause of Carlos Alcaraz's cramping, which he suffered during his French Open semifinal defeat by Novak Djokovic on Friday, will probably only become fully apparent in the days and weeks to come.
But one thing is for sure, the stress that the 20-year-old felt in playing the 22-time Grand Slam champion, at the highest intensity, on a huge stage, was a hugely significant factor.
"[It was] the tension," Alcaraz told reporters. "The tension of the match. You know, I started [the] match really nervous. The tension of the first set, the second set, it was [a] really intense two sets. Really good rallies, tough rallies, dropshots, sprints, rallies. It's a combination of a lot of things. But, you know, the main thing, it was the tension that I had all the two first sets."
Alcaraz was brilliant in the latter stages of the second set, leveling the match to one set each, before his right leg cramped up at 1-1 in the third. The Spaniard said he "disappointed himself" with the manner of the defeat and to add insult to injury, he will now lose the world No. 1 ranking to Djokovic should Djokovic go on to win the title on Sunday.
