Carlos Alcaraz Dismisses Fitness Concerns After Surviving Damir Dzumhur at Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz, after knocking out Damir Dzumhur, scheduled a fourth-round clash with Ben Shelton at the French Open.

Carlos Alcaraz Dismisses Fitness Concerns After Surviving Damir Dzumhur at Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz, Damir Dzumhur (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, The Tennis Letter)

Carlos Alcaraz survived a scare at the French Open. Damir Dzumhur took a set off him in the third round but the Spaniard did not let him capitalize on the momentum, eventually eking out the win in three hours and 14 minutes with a 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 scoreline.

At the press conference later, Alcaraz talked about the ups and downs of the match. He stated that he had some “physical doubts” and Dzumhur took advantage of them. The 22-year-old, however, dismissed any fitness concerns.

I don’t have any issues, it was just a physical low point that I struggled to recover from, but that’s how it goes. I think that the night session may lead to a bit of a downturn. Damir utilized the fact that the crowd supported him, people always root for the underdog. I don’t give it much importance, it may be that Damir played good tennis as a result of that.

The Bosnian ace had progressed to the third round of a Grand Slam event for the sixth time after overcoming Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. It was also his first appearance in the third round of a Major since the 2018 French Open.

Alcaraz improved his win-loss record on clay since last May to 30-2. The two defeats came at this year’s Barcelona Open final and in the Paris Olympics final against Novak Djokovic. He is also aiming to become the first man to win two back-to-back French Open after compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2019-20.

Mats Wilander urges Carlos Alcaraz to not repeat the same mistakes

Last year at the French Open and Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz, before completing the Channel Slam, dropped five sets in each of the tournaments. In Paris, he dropped two sets in the semifinal against Jannik Sinner and in the final against Alexander Zverev.

Carlos Alcaraz Barcelona Open 2025
Carlos Alcaraz (via Instagram/ Carlos Alcaraz)

This means, Alcaraz is wasting more energy on the court. Mats Wilander warned the youngster about the consequence of not maintaining his level throughout the matches.

We saw it last year. It sort of happened. Down two sets to one against Sinner and Zverev and then he figures things out. But he spends three hours 14 minutes on court instead of two hours 14 minutes and been in bed by 1 o’clock rather than 3 o’clock. These are things which make a huge difference in a Grand Slam tournament.

Mats Wilander said on TNT Sports

Alcaraz is chasing his fourth title of the season and his third on clay after the Monte Carlo Masters and the Italian Open. So far in the season, he has reached the final of every clay-court tournament he played.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Ben Shelton in the fourth round

Alcaraz will next be facing Ben Shelton, who got the better of Matteo Gigante in the previous round. The American ace has so far played two matches against the four-time Grand Slam champion, losing both. They, however, will be locking horns with each other for the first time on clay.

Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton (Image via Ben Shelton HQ)

While Alcaraz lifted his first French Open last year, Shelton’s appearance in the fourth round this season is his best performance in the tournament. Shelton has not yet won a Grand Slam title and produced his best performance when he reached the semifinals of the 2023 US Open and this year’s Australian Open.

The winner of the match could set up a clash with either Alexei Popyrin or Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, on the other hand, Alcaraz could meet Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, or Frances Tiafoe. The defending champion could set up a blockbuster clash with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic or three-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner in the championship match.

Also read: Aryna Sabalenka Reveals Her Change of Personality on the Court After Her Third-Round Win at Garros