Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has reached his second consecutive French Open final after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final.
The Spanish second seed led Italy’s Musetti 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0, 2-0 when the 23-year-old was forced to stop due to a thigh problem.
“It’s never fair. I want to win but not like this,” said Alcaraz. Musetti explained he “started losing a bit of strength on the left leg and it was getting worse and worse,” making retirement the “right decision.”
The match began with two high-quality sets, showcasing both players’ clay-court prowess.
However, after Alcaraz leveled in a tight second-set tie-break, Musetti’s physical struggles became apparent, leading to a dominant third set for Alcaraz before the Italian’s retirement.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz will face either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final, a match he plans to watch closely for tactical insights.
