The quarter-final stage is set at Roland Garros, and the high-stakes action will begin on Tuesday with three of the Top 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings set to compete.

In the Court Philippe-Chatrier evening session, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will take on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, against whom he holds a 4-0 ATP Head2Head record. The day session on the show court will see two-time Roland Garros champ Novak Djokovic face Karen Khachanov, who is bidding for his third straight Grand Slam semi-final.

ATPTour.com breaks down the two marquee matchups on the Tuesday schedule, which also includes two men’s doubles quarter-finals.

[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [5] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)

Alcaraz’s path to superstardom took a major leap at the 2021 US Open, when he announced himself at the game’s highest level with a five-set stunner against Tsitsipas, sealed with victory in a final-set tie-break. Since then, Alcaraz has won three more matches against the Greek, including a straight-sets result six weeks ago in the Barcelona final.

When the Roland Garros draw was revealed, a potential rematch in the quarter-finals was one of the most hotly anticipated possibilities in the men’s singles draw — not least for Tsitsipas himself.

“The clash we’ve all been waiting for,” the 24-year-old said with a laugh to open his presser following a straight-sets win against Sebastian Ofner. Asked to elaborate, Tsitsipas remained succinct: “I think I said everything I had to say. I think everyone was expecting it, weren’t they? And it’s here. It’s game on.”

Alcaraz did not yet know his opponent when he spoke with the media following his dominant win against Lorenzo Musetti — a result which earned him a measure of revenge after a defeat to the Italian in last year’s Hamburg final. But the Spaniard shared his respect for the game of Tsitsipas, who has taken just one set off him in their past three meetings. 

“We have played great matches. I won every match that we have played,” said Alcaraz, who is seeking his first Roland Garros semi-final. “But it doesn’t mean that I’m going to win every match that we are going to play. I have to be really focused. He’s a really tough opponent. But of course his game is a good game from my side.”

Alcaraz has overwhelmed Tsitsipas with his power from the baseline in his victories, with the Greek saying he had never seen someone hit the ball so hard after their US Open meeting. His power has also opened up the drop shot as a particularly effective weapon against Tsitsipas, as it has proven to be against all comers on the ATP Tour.

Data from Tennis Insights explains some of the key factors in the wins and losses this season for both players. For Alcaraz, he is at his best when his forehand is firing and he is able to attack. In his wins this season, he has spent 24 per cent of rallies in attacking positions, compared to 18 per cent in defeats.

1/4 final preview @rolandgarros…@carlosalcaraz V @steftsitsipas 🍿

We’re diving 🤿 into the 2023 🔢’s for when each player has won vs lost this year…#ShotQuality
The difference in Return has been significant for both players, with Alcaraz dropping to a loss avg. of 6.3… pic.twitter.com/fZGr3sA8h8

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) June 5, 2023

For Tsitsipas, his best results have come when he is able to steal points from defensive positions. The Greek has stolen 35 per cent of points from defence in his wins this year, compared to 28 per cent in losses.

Putting those numbers together, we can anticipate one key factor that will go a long way to deciding Tuesday’s winner: How often will Alcaraz be able to gain an attacking advantage in the rallies, and how often will Tsitsipas be able to fend off those attacks to steal points?

Of course, the Greek will be keen to attack as well. He said that he likes the bouncy conditions of the day sessions in Paris, when the ball has more “acceleration and pop” to aid his aggressive swings. But those same conditions benefit Alcaraz’s power game, leaving Tsitsipas unsure as to who the evening air will favour.

“I can’t answer whether that would be more beneficial for me or him,” the Greek said, noting that the pair has never played at night. “I will still need to find ways to bring my A game against him and do the best I can.”

[3] Novak Djokovic (SER) vs. [11] Karen Khachanov

As is always the case with Djokovic at the Grand Slams, there is a lot on the line for the Serbian this fortnight. He is chasing not only a record 23rd men’s singles major title — which would break a tie with Rafael Nadal at 22 — but also the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, which he would reclaim with his third Roland Garros title. 

Through to a record 17th quarter-final at the clay-court major, Djokovic has no interest in looking that far ahead.

“My attention is already in the next match. Obviously quarter-finals, Khachanov, I know what my goal is here,” he said. “I’m trying to stay mentally the course and of course not look too far.”

The rest of his response will not make for easy listening in the Khachanov camp: “Obviously the performance of today gives me a great deal of confidence about how I felt, about how I played,” he continued. “So I’m looking forward to the next match.”

After a tough three-setter against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round, a match that needed three hours for two opening sets decided by tie-breaks, Djokovic levelled up against Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas with his best performance of the tournament in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Novak Djokovic played some of his best tennis of the tournament against Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 💯

Watch the highlights 👇#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/29iGQz9ayr

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2023

While Djokovic has earned all four of his victories this fortnight in straight sets, Khachanov has only one such result. He escaped a two-set hole against France’s Constant Lestienne in the opening round and won four-setters against Thanasi Kokkinakis and Lorenzo Sonego to reach the quarters.

Now up against his first seeded opponent, the 11th seed will seek to snap a seven-match losing streak against Djokovic, who owns a decisive 8-1 edge in their ATP Head2Head.

“Against him, you need to play really good chess,” Khachanov said, carrying on the theme of a previous response. “He’s one of the toughest tasks, toughest opponents, and you cannot count him out. So at the same time I have ultimate respect, but I’m focused, I’m pumped to do well, and let’s see if I can make it or not this time.”

The 27-year-old reached the semi-finals at both the US Open and the Australian Open for his two best major appearances. To make it three in a row, he will need to beat a Top 10 seed for the first time across those three events.

Doubles QFs

Two doubles quarter-finals will be played on the Roland Garros show courts. On Court Simonne-Mathieu, top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski meet 10th seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. Koolhof/Skupski have not lost a set in their three victories as they bid for the first Grand Slam title overall and first tour-level crown of 2023.

On Court Suzanne-Lenglen, fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig face 11th-seeded Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. Krawietz won back-to-back Roland Garros titles with fellow German Andreas Mies in 2019 and 2020 and is seeking his first title with Puetz.

Andy Murray kicked off his grass-court season in winning fashion Monday. The Scot defeated former World No. 19 Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event in Surbiton.

The three-time major champion displayed smooth court coverage, often working his way to the net. In action just 20 minutes from the All England Club, where the 36-year-old has won two Wimbledon titles, Murray won 24 of 29 first-serve points to oust the South Korean Chung, who was playing just his third match since returning from two-and-half-years off due to a back injury.

Murray will next meet a qualifier, China’s Yunchaokete Bu or Briton Harry Wendelken.

In other action at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy, fifth seed Jason Kubler defeated Gijs Brouwer 6-1, 7-6(4) and Denis Kudla survived Christopher O’Connell 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. Wild card Ryan Peniston cruised past Jiri Vesely 6-4, 6-2.

Top seed and World No. 25 Daniel Evans will be in first-round action Tuesday against Australian teenager James McCabe.

Headlining the Roland Garros evening session for his third straight match, Alexander Zverev again closed the curtains on both Court Phlippe-Chatrier and his opponent with a battling victory under the lights.

After an eventful four-set win against Frances Tiafoe on Saturday, Zverev needed only three sets to move past Grigor Dimitrov on Monday evening. But his 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 victory still packed plenty of drama, with the German battling back from a break down in the second set and surrendering a 3-0 lead in the third.

“I felt like at 3-0 in the third set I got very unfocused. I kind of thought the match was over before having it over, and I was not concentrated anymore, and my serve went missing a little bit, ” Zverev said post-match, explaining why he returned to the court for some serving practice. “So I just wanted to get the feeling of having that back, because it’s going to be important for after tomorrow, I think.”

His victory saw him through to the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the fifth time in six years, and he will seek his third straight semi-final when he faces Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Wednesday. The 26-year-old has reached nine major quarter-finals overall, with his best Grand Slam result a run to the 2021 US Open final.

Zverev opened in imperious form against Dimitrov, dominating the early stages of the match with powerful baseline hitting and just five unforced errors in the opening set. Dimitrov began to find his footing — and his forehand — in the second to build a 4-2 lead, but Zverev snapped back by winning seven straight games to move to the brink of victory.

The German’s charge was aided by untimely errors from Dimitrov, who struggled with consistency throughout the match and finished with 50 unforced errors. That was again the case down the stretch, as Zverev rattled off the final three games of the match after Dimitrov roared back from 0-3 to level the final set.

The Bulgarian was a constant threat on return but only converted on two of his 16 break chances in the two-hour, 17-minute match. Zverev was far more efficient, claiming seven of 15 break points.

Dimitrov was bidding for his first Roland Garros quarter-final, an achievement that would have made him the 10th active player to reach at least the quarters at all four majors. Zverev could join that elite club with a deep run at Wimbledon next month, with two fourth-round runs (2017, 2021) his best showings on the London lawns.

Photo credit: Lewis Storey/Getty Images

Argentina’s Etcheverry booked his place opposite Zverev with a 7-6(8), 6-0, 6-1 win against 27th seed Yoshihito Nishioka. The Argentine entered Roland Garros with an 1-5 record in Grand Slam main draws and has now knocked off three seeds in a row to reach the quarters, beginning with 18th seed Alex de Minaur and 15th seed Borna Coric. 

“For me I have a lot of emotion right now. I think I am really, really happy. The best moment of my life,” Etcheverry said in his post-match presser. “Of course, in the next round it’s going to be tough. Sascha Zverev, I think he has a lot of more experience than me, but I feel really good to play against him. I am playing incredible tennis this week, and just I have to focus on my game and trying to do the same like I am doing every day.”

After winning a tight opening set against Nishioka, in which he saved a set point at 6/7 in the tie-break, Etcheverry eased through the finish line as the Japanese star began to show the effects of the 14 sets he played in his previous three matches. The 23-year-old finished with 37 winners including 12 aces after just over two hours on court.

Etcheverry’s breakout run to the quarter-finals has lifted him 18 places to No. 31 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, putting him ahead of Zverev, who is defending semi-final points. The winner of Wednesday’s matchup will move into the Top 25, with Etcheverry set for a new career-high regardless of the result.

Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen broke new ground on Monday at Roland Garros, where the Belgian duo reached their maiden Grand Slam semi-final as a team by downing 14th seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 7-6(4).

Gille and Vliegen outhit their 14th-seeded opponents by 34 winners to 26 on the way to a 99-minute victory on Court Simonne-Mathieu. They rallied from 1-4 in the second set to force a tie-break, in which they won five of the final six points to seal their win.

The unseeded duo is chasing its third tour-level crown of the season (Pune, Estoril) in Paris this fortnight. The pair has risen five spots to ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as a result of their run in the French capital.

Their next opponents will be Matwe Middelkoop and Andreas Mies, who ended the Roland Garros reign of 2022 winners Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer with a 7-6(6), 6-1 triumph at the clay-court major.

Middelkoop and Mies saved a set point in the 12th game en route to winning the opening set of the quarter-final clash before they accelerated through the second set for a one-hour, 55-minute victory. Middelkoop and Mies, who is a two-time Roland Garros champion, arrived in Paris with a 1-3 record for the year as a team but have not dropped a set on the way to the final four.

Louis Cayer is one of the preeminent voices in the doubles world, currently helping British doubles players. World No. 1 Neal Skupski, who along with Wesley Koolhof is in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, is one of his charges.

Cayer spoke to ATPTour.com about the biggest differences between coaching singles and doubles players, the intricacies of doubles some might not notice, and more.

How different is it coaching doubles players compared to the singles players?
I’ll start with coaching doubles players, because this is what I presently do. I think it’s a bit underestimated because I have to coach a Deuce-side player, maximise his strengths, his potential. I have to coach the Ad-side player for the same reason, but I have to also coach a team to [figure out] how they will gel, team patterns, team strategy. So it’s like if I have three players to coach. And when I scout, I have to scout the Deuce-side player, scout the Ad-side player and scout how the [opponents] play as a team, which plays they like to do together and combine that. So it’s quite complex.

Plus, I have a philosophy that we have to coach a performer and a player. But what triggers the performer, to activate someone [is different for different people]. For you it could be, ‘Come on, come on’. And the other one is very [calm]. ‘Okay, let’s go, I want to be sure you’re calm for the match’. And so when you do either pep talk, it’s not as complex as a football team or a hockey team, but still you have to gauge a bit what tone you will give to the pre-match talk, respecting the different individuality and stuff like this. So I think it’s quite complex at that level.

Tactics, it’s a lot of offence-defence. In singles, for example, if you serve wide, you make most of the time the volley [into the] open court, particularly if you serve and volley. If you stay back, you look to hit in the open court. But in doubles, if you make a first volley, if the receiver’s partner puts pressure on you, you may have to [go] short cross court. If they both stay back, you volley down the middle on the backhand side… So there’s a lot of decision making that you have to do, because of the complexity of having two players on the court…

Tactics are a bit more complicated [with] exploiting space, covering space. For me in singles, you work with your game style, you’re very confident in game style, you know how to play against three or four major game styles, you’re skillful on different surfaces… and you need especially a great engine. You have to be ready to run side to side for four hours. If you don’t have that big physical engine, I think even if you have nice technique, you cannot succeed in singles.

In doubles, we have to be honest, it is less taxing physically. The matches are an hour and a half, you don’t have these lateral side-to-side [movements]. I don’t say you don’t have to be fit, because they are very fit. But it’s a different type of fitness and the level of endurance required for singles and doubles is not even a close match.

You were talking about your Deuce player, you have your Ad player, and then the team. People who watch doubles might not think about the intricacies of that. What are some other things that people may not recognise about doubles that goes beyond what meets the eye?
On the mental aspect for example, some players were not good in singles and became good in doubles because of the negative self talk that you can have in singles. You lose the point, you’re alone, you get into your little misery, you get a bit down, you start to be flat. In doubles, we have rescue tactics.

There’s the three-second rule — go to your partner whenever you have that dynamic. So I missed a shot, my partner is there right away… It’s easier to be in the present, it’s easier to cultivate the high performance, high-positive energy, which is essential for [finding the] peak-performance state. You cannot get a peak-performance state without high-positive energy.

In doubles, you have a partner to help you to be in that space all the time. So on the mental level, it could be easier than singles where if you’re starting to get tired or negative, or you get beat, I think it takes much more mental discipline to stay fighting like Nadal and Djokovic, who are just amazing.

When people watch doubles, they think of net play, people coming forward and being at the net. What’s something that people don’t understand about the net game that these guys make look so easy?
Okay, first, the myth, I want to make the point [that] there are too many coaches [who] force club members to serve and volley saying, ‘This is the game’. How it’s played now, over 55 per cent of the Top 100 males stay back on their serve. Neal Skupski started to really climb the rankings when he decided to serve and stay back. He can still serve and volley, but he stays back quite often.

So 55 per cent of the men stay back and I would say 95 per cent of the women stay back, so don’t force everybody to serve and volley and to come to the net. But that being said, I think there are three types of volleys.

There’s the volley at midcourt. If you serve and volley, you have to make a ball at midcourt. It’s different footwork technique, different biomechanics…. You join your partner and we call that being in a wall position between the net and the service line. And then you have to cover the court like this.

The down-the-line player, in our system at least, [has] more responsibility of the middle. So you move laterally, but you cut the angle if it comes in the middle, and the other player, same thing. So there’s different skills. And most important, often in singles, they come to the net to finish the point and doubles you come to the net to make the point. So you’re often involved in defence, people hitting very hard at you, stuff like this, where you have to develop a lot of great defensive skills.