Djokovic, Alcaraz Ready to Rumble in French Open Semis
Most Anticipated Match of French Open Comes in Semis
From the time the men’s singles draw was announced at Roland Garros, this was the match those making French Open picks wanted to see.
When looking at the tennis news cycle, this match will be capturing the attention of French Open betting fans and even casual fans worldwide. It is hard to believe that this will be just the second meeting between the two.
Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and competitor who will be asked to take over the sport once Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal join Roger Federer in retirement, is looking to reach his second Grand Slam singles final after winning the 2022 US Open. Alcaraz, who turned 20 in early May, is in the French Open semifinals for the first time.
The 36-year-old Djokovic is looking for his third French Open title and 23rd Grand Slam singles title. Djokovic dropped the first set in the quarterfinals against Karen Khachanov and was extended to a tiebreaker in the second set.
Djokovic is 5-0 in tiebreakers in this tournament. Djokovic is looking to make it to the finals for the first time since winning the Australian Open in January. He was 8-4 following that title run and before hitting his first ball at Roland Garros.
Once it was clear that 14-time French Open singles champion Rafael Nadal was not going to be able to play in a tournament that he dominated, it was evident that Alcaraz and Djokovic would lead the way of title contenders according to the French Open odds.
Alcaraz and Djokovic have dropped one set each in the tournament, and due to some of Djokovic’s recent results, he dropped to the No. 3 seed and which led to a semifinal matchup with Alcaraz rather than having the two stars meeting in the final.
The tennis predictions price Alcaraz at -210 to win the match with Djokovic coming in at +170.
Alcaraz won the only previous matchup at the 2022 Madrid semifinals.
Djokovic vs Alcaraz Match Information
- Rankings: Djokovic 3rd, Alcaraz 1st
- 2023 Records: Djokovic 25-4, Alcaraz 35-3
- Location: Court Philippe-Chatrier, Paris
- Day/Time: Friday, June 9, 8:45 a.m. ET
- Djokovic vs Alcaraz Live Stream: TennisTV
How Many More Chances?
Djokovic has had more dominating runs to Grand Slam semifinals. His ability to get into tiebreakers has been crucial and his experience winning tough points has come through.
Did you know that Novak Djokovic is 5-0 in tie-breaks at Roland Garros this year, outscoring opponents 35-12? #InfosysStats | #partner | #MoreATPWithInfosys
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 6, 2023
Djokovic is 2-4 in French Open finals with three of those losses coming to Nadal. Nadal won’t be standing in the way of the winner of this semifinal. Either Djokovic or Alcaraz is sure to be favored according to the tennis odds against either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic saved eight of the 10 break points in the quarterfinals and had 15 more winners than unforced errors against Khachanov. He will need more of that against Alcaraz.
Djokovic tends to improve the quality of his play as the tournament moves along and that has certainly been the case at Roland Garros. He looked a little shaky at times against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round with just one ace and more unforced errors than winners.
“These kind of wins, I think, serve as a great confidence booster mentally, so also physically and emotionally for me,” Djokovic said after the quarterfinal win. “It’s important to win a match where you were losing or you were being down and then you came back and won a match. Especially at the latter stages of a Grand Slam against the top players.”
Djokovic is 6-5 in the French Open semifinals. He made it to at least the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the 14th year in a row. His consistency has made Djokovic to go-to option for those who bet online.
Ready to Be the One
It is easy to forget that Alcaraz is little more than a month removed from his 20th birthday, He certainly plays with a maturity that belies his age and he will need all of that when he faces the crafty Djokovic.
Alcaraz was coming off a stunning loss to No. 135 Fabian Marozsan in the Round of 32 at the Italian Open and that might not have been the worst thing, considering the amount of tennis he has played in 2023.
Alcaraz has won titles at Rio de Janeiro, Indian Wells, Madrid and Barcelona in 2023. He is 10-2 against top 20-ranked players this year coming into the French Open.
Alcaraz has won 11 sets in a row since Taro Daniel took the second set from Alcaraz in the second round. Keep that in mind when looking at French Open live betting options.
His methodical win against No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was something to behold. He won 93% of his points on his first serve in the opening set and it was more of the same in the second set as he didn’t face a break point until the third set.
“I try not to think about the No.1 ranking, the pressure, that I’m one of the main favorites to win the tournament,” Alcaraz said. “I try to get all those thoughts out of my mind. I try just to play tennis, to enjoy. I try to smile a lot of the time and this is the key of everything for me: to smile, to enjoy, to try to make impossible shots and to try to make the people enjoy watching the tennis. It’s all I think about during the match.”
