French Open: Defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz Tested As He Enters Last 16

Last Updated:May 31, 2025, 09:58 IST

Carlos Alcaraz needed four sets to defeat Damir Dzumhur and later admitted he suffered a lot during the contest.

Carlos Alcaraz serves to Damir Dzumhur during their third-round match. (AP Photo)

Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tough challenge to secure his place in the French Open last 16 on Friday. Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka also advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros.

Second seed Alcaraz won 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 against 69th-ranked Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in the night session, keeping his title defense intact.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz came to Roland Garros as the favorite after winning the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open. However, his inconsistent performances in the last two rounds have given his rivals hope that he might be vulnerable.

“Today I honestly didn’t enjoy it that much. I suffered quite a lot," said a relieved Alcaraz, who came from a break down in the fourth set to secure the win. “That’s why doing really well in a Grand Slam is difficult; you have to maintain a very high level for three to four hours."

The 22-year-old will next face American 13th seed Ben Shelton, who defeated Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Swiatek stayed on track for her fourth consecutive French Open title, defeating Romania’s world number 60 Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 in sweltering conditions. Swiatek broke Cristian twice in a comfortable first set, but faced a tougher challenge in the second, having to save six break points.

“She really stepped up in the second set. I had to step up as well. It was an entertaining match," said Swiatek, who aims to be the first woman to win four successive Roland Garros titles since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago.

The 23-year-old Pole will next play 12th seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2 in a clash of big hitters. Swiatek has a 4-4 record against Rybakina but has lost both previous meetings on clay. She was relieved to avoid Ostapenko, who holds a 6-0 record against her.

A grinning Swiatek suggested earlier she had no preference regarding her last-16 opponent before asking, “Am I a good liar?" “Let’s say it doesn’t matter, really. Oh, my God. I couldn’t play poker," joked the world number five, who has not won a title since last year’s French Open.

Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance, defeating 34th-ranked Serbian left-hander Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3. The Madrid Open winner, whose best result at Roland Garros was a semi-final in Paris two years ago, insisted the pressure was on Swiatek.

“Let’s just leave it (the pressure) on Iga (Swiatek) since she won it, what, three times in a row," said Sabalenka.

The 27-year-old Belarusian will next play 16th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Danish 22nd seed Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in their third-round match.

Zheng Qinwen ended the run of Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. The Chinese eighth seed has now won nine consecutive matches at Roland Garros, following her run to Olympic gold last year. Zheng is through to the fourth round in Paris for the second time and will next face Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who defeated Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-3.

Italian fourth seed Paolini defeated Ukrainian lucky loser Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-4, 6-1. Runner-up last year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Paolini will next face Ukrainian 13th seed Elina Svitolina, who dug deep to defeat American Bernarda Pera 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5).

Eighth seed Musetti won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 against Argentine Mariano Navone, following his runner-up finish in Monte Carlo and semi-final runs in Madrid and Rome. However, the Italian dropped his first set in Paris against world number 97 Navone.

“I’ve grown up a lot. A match like this I don’t know if I would (have) come back a few years ago," said Musetti. “The heat was pretty tough to manage. But happy to find a way to turn around the match."

Musetti will next play Rune, who was two points from defeat in the fourth set before rallying to overcome France’s Quentin Halys 4-6, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

American Tommy Paul, the 12th seed, defeated Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-3 and will face Australian Alexei Popyrin, the 25th seed, who beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-4, 7-6 (13/11), 7-6 (7/5).

Arthur Fils, the 14th seed, withdrew ahead of his third-round match on Saturday, extending the host nation’s wait for a first men’s champion at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983.

With AFP Inputs

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News sports French Open: Defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz Tested As He Enters Last 16