Carlos Alcaraz’s Rare Weakness at French Open 2025 Semi-Final Sparks Hope for Rivals
Carlos Alcaraz, the defending French Open champion, showcased a rare vulnerability during his 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 semi-final victory over Lorenzo Musetti on June 6, 2025, at Roland Garros, which ended with Musetti’s retirement due to a thigh injury. Despite advancing to his second consecutive final, Alcaraz’s early-match struggles, particularly in the first set, have given rivals like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, one of whom he’ll face in the final, a glimpse of exploitable weaknesses, as detailed by Tennis365.com.[](https://www.tennis365.com/french-open/carlos-alcaraz-roland-garros-weakness)
In the first set, Alcaraz appeared rattled, committing a series of unforced errors, including a critical forehand miss that handed Musetti the set at 4-5, per Olympics.com. Posts on X, such as @mkanapaka, noted Alcaraz’s “tactical errors” and “urge to be the better shot-maker,” costing him the set as he chased flashy winners over consistency. His serve also faltered, with only 1/4 break points converted compared to Musetti’s 2/2, per @supplyonnais, and a lack of patience led to premature winner attempts, as observed by @tkakdeniz_. These lapses, though brief, contrast with his dominant 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 quarter-final win over Tommy Paul, where he won 88% of first-serve points, per Motociclismo.
Alcaraz’s second-set recovery, clinching a tiebreak after a 6-5 break, showed resilience, but his occasional mental lapses under pressure, as noted by @brooklynsbeat, could embolden Sinner, who leads their 2025 clay head-to-head 1-0 (Italian Open final), or Djokovic, whose tactical variety overwhelmed Zverev with 35 drop shots, per The Athletic. Musetti’s ability to exploit Alcaraz’s errors with cross-court forehands and topspin backhands, per The Telegraph, suggests rivals can disrupt him by forcing longer rallies and capitalizing on service games. With a 32-2 clay record since May 2024, per ATP Tour, Alcaraz remains a formidable force, but this rare dip offers a blueprint for Sunday’s final.[]
