Stefanos Tsitsipas tried everything against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, but the Greek still could not find any answers against the Spanish superstar. After falling to 0-6 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head, Tsitsipas was at a loss.
"I tend to believe that my ball quality is one of the best on the Tour, and every time I get to play Carlos I feel like he delivers a shot quality that I don't quite get against other opponents," he said in his post-match press conference. "It just brings me trouble. I feel like his shot is deep and has a lot of topspin to it and I just haven't been able to come up with something good.
"He in a way overpowers me, but he's also patient enough to do it in a very constructive way."
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Tsitsipas said it was rare for him to feel overmatched on the court, but that Alcaraz is one of the few players on the ATP Tour who can overwhelm him. The Greek praised his opponent's speed and compared him to Novak Djokovic in the way he is able to change direction and construct points with a "great tennis IQ".
After winning his third Monte-Carlo title in April, then reaching the Barcelona final and Rome quarters, Tsitsipas entered Roland Garros full of confidence. The No. 9 in the PIF ATP Rankings felt he was in top form in Paris, saying he played "close to 100 per cent" in his fourth-round victory against Matteo Arnaldi. But his "great trajectory" was stopped by the impenetrable Alcaraz.
"My chances, yes, I won't lie, I was confident," he said of his hopes to win the Roland Garros title. "I felt more confident than I usually am. Maybe that hurt me I guess. I don't know.
"I was pretty sure I could face Carlos today and maybe do something different than any other time that I have played. The kid is just too good. I can only congratulate him because he's really playing amazing. I've maximised anything that I was able to try and do out on the court. I've maximised everything. I just need to figure this out.
"It's a difficult journey. It's not a pleasant one, for sure. Of course, I wish him the best because when I play against him, I get reminded of how much there is to get better at as a tennis player."
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