Days after Novak Djokovic raised concerns about the court conditions at the 2024 French Open, Carlos Alcaraz faced a similar issue during his final match against Alexander Zverev. The World No. 3 echoed Djokovic’s sentiments, complaining to the chair umpire that Court Philippe-Chatrier lacked sufficient clay, resembling a hard court more than a traditional clay court.

Alcaraz started the match strong, winning the first set 6-3. However, Zverev found his rhythm and took the second set 6-2. During the third set, with Alcaraz leading 5-2, the Spaniard expressed his frustration during a changeover, stating, “This is unbelievable. It’s not a clay court, it’s a hard court. No clay there.”

Earlier in the tournament, Djokovic had similarly criticized the court conditions after his fourth-round win against Francisco Cerundolo on the same court. The Serbian’s frustration stemmed from the excessive build-up of clay, which caused him to have a nasty fall. “Great job from you guys. You know better than us. It’s not slippery at all. Not dangerous at all. Well done supervisor and everyone. Ground staff, well done,” Djokovic remarked sarcastically, giving a thumbs-up.

Djokovic’s ordeal ended with a torn medial meniscus, forcing him to withdraw from his quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud. In contrast, Alcaraz, despite losing the third set after his complaint, managed to regroup and dominate the next two sets. He ultimately triumphed over Zverev with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a grueling battle lasting four hours and 20 minutes.

Alcaraz’s complaints highlight a recurring issue with the court conditions at this year’s French Open, affecting top players’ performances and health. Despite the challenges, Alcaraz’s resilience and ability to adapt secured him his third Grand Slam title.

Carlos Alcaraz in 2024

At the moment ranked no.2, Alcaraz played his last match on the 9^th of June when he overcame world no.4 Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 in the final of the French Open to win his 15^th career title.

This season the Spaniard has achieved a compiled 25-5 win-loss record. Carlos clinched 2 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells and French Open.