Carlos Alcaraz Advances to Fourth Round at Roland Garros After Tough Match

Alcaraz's Title Defense Continues

Carlos Alcaraz faced a challenging match on Friday at Roland Garros, successfully maintaining his title defense. The Spaniard triumphed over Damir Dzumhur from Bosnia-Herzegovina with a score of 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, in a gripping encounter that lasted three hours and 14 minutes, as reported by the ATP's official site.

A Tense Fourth Set

At one point in the fourth set, Alcaraz found himself down a break. However, he managed to regain his composure and take control of the match. While serving for victory at 5-4, he was broken but quickly responded by breaking Dzumhur again to secure his place in the fourth round.

Dominance and Resilience

Alcaraz started the match aggressively, dominating rallies with powerful forehands that reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Although Dzumhur had break-point opportunities in every set, he only converted one out of his first eight chances, leading to a dramatic finish on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Dzumhur's Offensive Strategy

Dzumhur applied pressure on Alcaraz with his aggressive baseline play. His timely backhand winners and forward movement unsettled the Spaniard, causing him to make some unusual mistakes. After missing his first nine break points, Alcaraz finally broke back, halting Dzumhur's momentum. Overall, Alcaraz converted seven out of 21 break points and finished the match with 52 winners, 38 of which came from his forehand.

Alcaraz's Impressive Clay Record

Since May of the previous year, Alcaraz has achieved an impressive 30-2 record on clay, which includes winning his first Roland Garros title and earning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 2025, he has already secured ATP Masters 1000 titles on clay in both Monte-Carlo and Rome.

Looking Ahead

The four-time Grand Slam champion is now set to face 13th seed Ben Shelton in a highly anticipated fourth-round match. Alcaraz aims to become the first man since Rafael Nadal (2019-20) to successfully defend his title at Roland Garros.