"Novak Djokovic is in great shape and he proved that; Carlos Alcaraz cramping is unacceptable" - Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors recently shared his thoughts on the semifinal clash between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 French Open.
Djokovic created history by winning his 23rd Grand Slam title at the recently concluded clay court Major. The Serb defeated top seed Alcaraz in the semifinal en route to his historic victory.
The much-awaited clash lived up to its hype for the first two sets, with both players claiming a set piece. However, the match took an unexpected turn when Carlos Alcaraz suffered painful cramps at 1-1 in the third set.
Despite receiving treatment, the Spaniard was a shadow of his former self, allowing Novak Djokovic to claim a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory and advance to the final.
Commenting on the blockbuster clash, Connors recognized Alcaraz's success and commended him on already having won his first Grand Slam title. However, he emphasized that the 20-year-old would have to work hard to earn further success at Majors as players like Djokovic weren't going to hand him victories.
"Alcaraz, everybody thought that he had come of age and he has come of age," Connors said on the 'Advantage Connors' podcast.
"He’s 19-20 years old and he’s won a Grand Slam already but there’s guys out there, such as Djokovic who is not willing to just roll over and say, 'Okay you can have it now.' He’s going to have to earn it."
Connors also lauded the Serb's excellent physical condition, while expressing his disappointment with Alcaraz's "unacceptable" cramping woes.
"Djokovic is in great shape and he proved that. Alcaraz was cramping after the second set. To me, that is kind of unacceptable," he said.
The 70-year-old highlighted the importance of being prepared to play the entire five sets, especially against a player of Djokovic's calibre.
"I don’t know if that’s on his team or nerves got into it or what but cramping in the third set. I know Djokovic puts a lot of pressure on you and all that, but you got to be ready to play five sets. Especially in the French [Open] against a guy like Djokovic," Connors added.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz's French Open clash reaches 2nd highest viewership spot on Tennis Channel
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz's highly-anticipated French Open semifinal claimed the title of the second-most viewed match on the Tennis Channel. The blockbuster clash drew in a whopping 530,000 viewers, according to the US-based digital, cable and satellite television network.
The clash marked the pair's second meeting on the tour. Alcaraz won their earlier meeting 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) in the 2022 Madrid Open semifinal, which lasted three hours and 38 minutes.
According to tennis.com, the 2022 French Open quarterfinal between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic remains the most-watched match. It attracted a total of 666,000 viewers.