Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic is the big match everyone is waiting for at Roland Garros, with a very interesting matchup between the two on Friday in the semi-finals in Paris.

Carlos AlcarazPhoto: Thibault Camus/AP/Profimedia

Alex Corretha says Alcaraz needs to be patient and not look for winning shots every time against Djokovic

Two-time Paris finalist (in 1998 and 2001) and former world number two Alex Corretha spoke before the match between Alcaraz and Djokovic.

The former player believes that Alcaraz needs to be patient, try to make his game regular and not look for winning shots every shift.

“We are all waiting for a great confrontation between Carlitos and Novak. I’m sure it won’t be easy for Alcaraz, but I believe in his big game. All Spaniards believe in it, see him prepared. But I’m sure he’ll get hurt, it’s never easy to beat Djokovic in a 5-set match.

Carlitos needs to be patient, he needs to play his game. He does not need to change anything, he must realize that Nole will give everything for this game and put him on long shifts.

Carlos must dictate the pace, play aggressively, but take his time. It is difficult for him to maintain the same level for two and a half to three hours, but I believe that he will be able to do it.

He also needs creativity and needs to understand that he can’t look for winning shots every shift. Novak is steady, has a lot of experience and will play long trying to get Alcaraz out of rhythm.

But if he finds a good mix of patience, short and direct winning shots, I think he could be considered the favorite. It will be a titanic meeting, a great battle” – Alex Korethafor Eurosport.

Previously, Carlos and Novak met only once on the ATP circuit, in Madrid in 2022, in the semifinals. The Iberian won, 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5).

Roland Garros 2023, semi-finals: Alcaraz – Djokovic and Ruud – Zverev

The two Roland Garros men’s semi-finals will be played on Friday, with kick-off times to be confirmed by French organisers.

You can watch the matches live on Eurosport.

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Novak Djokovic (3) / straight games 1-0

Casper Ruud (4) vs. Oleksandr Zverev (22) / 1-2

The Roland Garros tournament takes place from May 28 to June 11, has a total prize pool of 49.6 million euros, and is the 127th tournament. Iga Sviatek and Rafael Nadal (14-time winner in Paris) became the champions of the title.