“You need to understand…,” Alex Corretja explains why Carlos Alcaraz said there’s ‘joy in suffering’ after beating Jannik Sinner in Roland Garros semifinal

Corretja explained why it's important for players to understand that they will suffer.


“You need to understand…,” Alex Corretja explains why Carlos Alcaraz said there’s ‘joy in suffering’ after beating Jannik Sinner in Roland Garros semifinal

Jannik Sinner, Alex Corretja, Carlos Alcaraz (Images via X)

Carlos Alcaraz loves to suffer because there is joy in suffering. Such remarks from the 21-year-old after his win over Jannik Sinner surprised former tennis player Alex Corretja, who explained later what Alcaraz meant by that. 

On Friday (June 7), Alcaraz and Sinner played their first five-set match of the tournament against each other inside the Philippe-Chatrier court. When the match was pushed to the decider, Alcaraz prevailed in it, not letting the Italian win more than three games, and eventually secured the final berth with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. After the match, Alcaraz said he finds joy in overcoming challenges. 

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You have to find the joy in suffering, that’s the key, even more on clay in Roland Garros. Long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets, you have to suffer. But you have to enjoy suffering.
Carlos Alcaraz said 

Corretja explained why it’s important for players to understand that they will suffer, that things won’t be easy for them, that they have to give their all to emerge victorious. At the same time, they should know that conquering these challenges will bring them immense satisfaction, which Alcaraz has understood it very well.

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You will suffer, but you need to have the joy of saying, that, 'I know I am suffering, but I've been through this moment before in my life, like maybe during gym, maybe during practices. I think it was key for him to understand that. And I have to tell you I saw him before the match, and he was ready for that. He knew there was going to be huge battle against Jannik. 
Alex Corretja told Eurosport 

Alcaraz reached his first final at the Roland Garros and is waiting for the result of the other semifinal match between Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud. The Spaniard also improved his head-to-head record to 5-4 over Sinner. 

Carlos Alcaraz’s records against Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud

When it comes to head-to-head records, Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t enjoy the lead over Alexander Zverev. The 21-year-old Spaniard has won four matches in their nine encounters, the last being this year’s Indian Wells quarterfinal. 

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X)

However, on clay, they have met three times, with Alcaraz winning two of those matches. They previously locked horns at Roland Garros in 2022 in the quarterfinals, where the German emerged victorious in four sets. 

On the other hand, Alcaraz has won all four matches he played against Casper Ruud, including the 2022 US Open final. They last met in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Beijing Open. 

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