Teaming for the first time at Roland Garros, Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz completed their dream run in style on Thursday when they captured the mixed doubles title.

In a tight final, the Japanese-German team clawed past Bianca Andreescu and Michael Venus 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 to claim the crown at the clay-court major after one hour and 35 minutes.

“Miyu, it is unbelievable what has happened in the past 10 days,” Puetz said during the trophy ceremony. “I hope this helps you. I am very, very happy to win.”

Kato and Puetz held their nerve in the key moments on Court Philippe-Chatrier, saving four break points in the second set before they were the more consistent team in the Match Tie-break to triumph.

“I am so glad I have you as a partner,” Kato said to Puetz during the ceremony. “Thank you so much for always supporting me and cheering me up.”

It is a first mixed doubles title for both the 35-year-old Puetz and the 28-year-old Kato. Puetz has won seven tour-level men’s doubles titles, while Kato has clinched two WTA Tour doubles crowns.

Kato and Puetz were dominant throughout their run in Paris, not dropping a set en route to the final.

The potential matchup everyone had circled from the start of Roland Garros is now a reality. One year after a three-set epic in their first meeting in Madrid, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will contest their second ATP Head2Head showdown in the Paris semi-finals.

The two stars have waged a neck-and-neck battle in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this season, trading the top spot four times in 2023. Now this generational battle will play out on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with World No. 1 Alcaraz knowing a Friday victory would ensure he remains at the pinnacle of the men’s game following the tournament.

The 20-year-old Spaniard is seeking his first Roland Garros final and his second major title, which would make it two trophies in as many Grand Slam appearances for the reigning US Open champion, who missed the Australian Open with a leg injury.

Djokovic, 36, is bidding for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles crown — an achievement that would also see him return to World No. 1. The Serbian is also attempting to advance to his seventh final in his past eight majors as he chases a sixth title in that stretch.

One year on from Alcaraz’s thrilling 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) win against Djokovic in Madrid — a clay-court event with notably quicker conditions than Roland Garros — how will this semi-final meeting play out? Before we turn to the competitors themselves, let’s hear how Stefanos Tsitsipas broke it down after his quarter-final defeat to the Spaniard.

“Well, one [Djokovic] has experience; the other one [Alcaraz] has legs and moves like Speedy Gonzalez, so you have that,” he assessed. “[Alcaraz] can hit huge, super-big shots; and [Djokovic] prefers control over anything else, probably control and precision, to apply pressure and just make the opponent move as much as possible.”

Tsitsipas has fallen victim to both players this season, losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open final and to Alcaraz in both Barcelona and Paris. But Alcaraz’s domination of the Greek in Tuesday’s quarter-final laid down a marker, with the 20-year-old hitting new heights in building a 6-2, 6-1, 5-2 lead. While Tsitsipas battled back to force a tie-break in the final set, Alcaraz left the court with sky-high confidence.

“I think my level is getting better every time that I’m winning,” he said. “I think today was such a great level. I played really, really well. I would say one of my best matches of my career.”

It’s a bold statement, even if Alcaraz’s ATP Tour career is still in its infancy, with just two-and-a-half years as a regular on the circuit. It’s a stark contrast to Djokovic, who turned pro in 2003. That disparity, in addition to the differences in their playing styles, further fuels the matchup’s intrigue.

So what’s more important: Alcaraz’s youth or Djokovic’s experience?

“I want to think my youth,” the 20-year-old said with a smile. “But it’s going to be his 45th semi-final of a Grand Slam; this is gonna be my second. I would say the experience is better at that point, but I’m not going to think about that.”

While Alcaraz enters the semis in peak form, on the back of straight-sets wins against Denis Shapovalov, Lorenzo Musetti and Tsitsipas, Djokovic will present a fresh set of problems — not least because of his rock-solid two-handed backhand, a departure from the one-handers Alcaraz feasted on in his previous three outings.

Djokovic also has an innate ability to perform his best in the biggest moments, most recently evidenced by his 5-0 tie-break record this fortnight, achieved without committing a single unforced error.

The Serbian has dropped just one set this tournament, the opener in his quarter-final against an inspired Karen Khachanov. But a 7/0 second-set tie-break helped him turn the match around. Djokovic said the first two sets against Khachanov were his worst of the tournament, and he knows there may be no escape from a repeat performance against Alcaraz.

“If it comes to that match, that’s the match that a lot of people want to see,” Djokovic said, before Alcaraz defeated Tsitsipas. “It’s definitely the biggest challenge for me so far in the tournament. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. He’s definitely a guy to beat here. I’m looking forward to that.”

Alcaraz shared similar sentiments about Djokovic, word-for-word in part: “Since last year I really wanted to play again against Novak. We both are playing a great level, and as I said before, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. So I’m really looking for that match. I’m going to enjoy it.”

Alcaraz also said he was excited to play a historic semi-final against “a legend like Novak”. But at Roland Garros, the history and legend of Rafael Nadal always looms large, even if the Spaniard is not competing this year. To that end, Djokovic paid Alcaraz perhaps the biggest compliment he could have shared.

“[Alcaraz] carries himself very well. No doubt a very nice guy on and off the court. Brings a lot of intensity on the court. Reminds me of someone from his country that plays with a left hand,” Djokovic said with a smile, referencing the 14-time Roland Garros champ. “He deserves his success, no doubt. He’s working hard, and he’s a very complete player already and only age 20.”

A win for Alcaraz in this generational challenge would not only deny Djokovic sole possession of the Grand Slam record — it could also signal that the dominance of the Big 3 is finally cracking.

When Tsitsipas was asked who he thought would win the matchup, he steered clear of a prediction but shared his rooting interest: “I root for the young kids,” he said, despite the defeat to Alcaraz.

The fan-favourite Spaniard can likely count on the support of the Chatrier crowd as well, which could give him a crucial boost in a match of fine margins. But for Djokovic, who often plays his best tennis when the fans are behind his opponent, that may be just how he likes it.

Both Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev stood on the brink of glory last year at Roland Garros before their campaigns came to sudden ends against Rafael Nadal. Ruud was swept aside by the Spaniard in a straight-sets final after Zverev suffered a gruesome ankle injury deep into the second set of what was already an epic semi-final against the eventual champ.

This season, both Ruud and Zverev muddled through largely middling results before peaking in Paris. Ruud’s best result is a title at the ATP 250 in Estoril, but he had notched consecutive wins at just one other event prior to Roland Garros, reaching the Rome semis. Zverev entered the major with a 16-14 record on the year, his best results coming in semi-final runs in Dubai and Geneva.

“I think it’s great to see Sascha back,” Ruud said. “I think both for him and me, this is our biggest result this year, reaching the semi-final. I think we will try to play with shoulders down and just try to enjoy it.

“It’s been a tough year for Sascha, and he has fought his way back, and he is back in the semi-final here. The beginning of this year for me has not been great, so it’s great to get a good result here for me.”

Since Zverev made his return from injury to the ATP Tour in January, he has had this event circled.

“It was definitely a tournament that I marked on my calendar this year,” the German said after his four-set quarter-final win against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. “I’m happy to be playing the way I’m playing here in Paris. I’m extremely happy with how things are going, but as I said, the tournament is not over yet. There are still potentially two very, very difficult matches ahead, and I’m looking forward to that.”

The 22nd seed said it was a special moment when he returned to Court Philippe Chatrier for the first time this season, given what happened against Nadal one year ago. But now that he is in the rhythm of the tournament, the injury no longer occupies his mind.

“I don’t think about it anymore. I’m going on court to win tennis matches,” he said, adding that he truly began to play pain-free when the ATP Tour’s European clay swing started in April.

Similarly, Ruud has said he does not carry the weight of his final defeat to Nadal, such is his respect for the 14-time Roland Garros champion. But after what he called his “biggest win of the year” against Holger Rune in an all-Scandinavian quarter-final, the Norwegian finds himself on the brink of another final.

Court coverage 💯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/wFyF7V6aeM

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2023

While Ruud and Zverev have played just three times before, they have made a habit of meeting on the biggest stages. All three of their previous matchups came at the ATP Masters 1000 level, with Zverev winning two straight-setters in 2021 (Cincinnati, Paris) and Ruud triumphing in three in 2022 (Miami).

Their Roland Garros showdown will be their first meeting on clay. An intriguing tactical battle awaits, with Ruud set to test his steady, probing game against the power and length of Zverev, whose tennis has proven more mercurial.

Expect both to be at their best on Friday.

“I think we will both just try to enjoy the moment,” Ruud said. “We would both love, of course, to be in the final on Sunday, so we’re going to give it all and we’re going to be ready to hopefully put on a good match.”

My name is Ernesto Escobedo and I have a stutter.

It has taken me a long, long time to be comfortable enough to share that with the world. It is something I have lived with as long as I can remember. But as a kid, I never really paid attention to it. All I was worried about was playing tennis, going out with friends and having fun.

The truth is there are times when it feels like something is stuck in my throat and I just can’t talk. If I force myself to speak, it comes out poorly and I stutter really badly. It’s tough.

I know a lot of people have a lot of issues they deal with. No one is perfect in this world. But one of the most important things in life is communication. It just sucks that you could see my insecurity off the bat because of my struggles with speech.

If somebody has four toes, that person could hide it forever. I can’t hide. I’m an easy target because I can’t speak like everybody else. I’m trying my best to work on it and I thought a good way to start would be to share my story.

I might have a stutter, but I also have a voice.

# # #

Once I came close to becoming one of the Top 100 players in the world, my life changed. There were more people around, more eyes on me. My stutter had never really been a major problem in my life until one day in 2016 in Cary, North Carolina.

I was playing an ATP Challenger Tour final against James McGee, who won the match in three sets. Afterwards, everyone came on court for the trophy ceremony and I was handed the microphone to reflect on my week.

“I started…

“I’m so sorry, hold on…

“So right before Lexington I was ranked like 350, 340, and then I just. Every time…

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t speak right now.”

A thousand words were racing through my mind. I didn’t know which ones to pick. My heart rate went through the roof and my hands were sweating like crazy. I lost control of my body.

It was really scary and embarrassing, to be honest. That was one of the most difficult moments of my life. I just didn’t know what to say — nothing came out. I started to break down on court.

My opponent, James, was really nice. He immediately jumped up, put his arm around me and spoke on my behalf. But the damage was done.

That video went on YouTube and ever since I have been scared that people would watch it. I saw it two weeks after the match and immediately thought, ‘Whoa’. It was a really emotional moment for me. I was shocked and ashamed because of it. I felt so small.

It is so difficult to describe what it was like to stand there and have no control of my body. All I wanted to do was talk and put myself out there, but I couldn’t. I had no choice, and that was sad. It was a really shitty feeling.

That moment made a huge impact on my career, and not in a good way. The following year, I broke into the Top 100 for the first time and reached my career-high of No. 67 just after my 21st birthday. I was playing the tennis of my life.

But on the inside, I was struggling.

In many matches I would get so close to the finish line on some pretty big stages, but all I could think about was not wanting to experience what I did that day in Cary.

‘Oh shit, I’ve got to talk after this.’

I would lose matches because I was too scared to speak afterwards. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, that is what I was thinking about on court. During points, between points, any time you can think of. Instead of just focusing on the next point, I was thinking, ‘I’m getting closer to when I have to talk. What am I gonna say?’

I wanted to finish matches just to go back to the hotel and avoid speaking. I’m not really scared of doing interviews — I could crush one-on-ones every day. But when I need to talk in front of a lot of people, I start losing control of my voice.

What made my struggle worse was that when I was in the Top 100, a lot of people began making fun of me, which made me feel insecure about my stutter. I didn’t want people to hear my voice.

A lot of people didn’t understand my stutter. Some told me, ‘Just talk’. But it’s tough to speak if you struggle with this. Nobody stutters on purpose, trust me.

It has weighed me down for years. I truly believe I belong in the Top 100 now, but my stutter and my fear of it have held me back.

Because I felt so much shame about it, I never thought about discussing it publicly. Not one time. Not until now.

I recently started thinking about what I’ve gone through. I’m going to be 27 soon, and I would feel really badly if I ended my career without letting my struggles off my chest. I’ve never heard somebody talk about their stutter, so I thought it could be good just to start a conversation.

A few weeks ago, I was in Mexico for a tournament and I told my coach and agent about it for the first time. I sent my coach the clip from the Cary Challenger and he said, ‘Dude, this is crazy! I can’t believe that this happened to you.’ He felt so bad that I had to go through that experience and that it had been weighing on me for this long.

I had close people around me who tried to help, but never got professional help. I let my team know I was thinking of going public and they were super supportive.

I recorded a 73-second video telling the world about my struggles and how important it is to put myself out there in case it can help even one person who is also having a tough time. It took me like 10 tries because I didn’t really know what to say and I was trying to be super natural about it. When I messed up a video, I just deleted it and shot it again until I felt it was good.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ernesto Escobedo (@netoesco)

Separate from my stutter, I’ve always been a quiet person. So I think for people who know me to see that video, they were kind of impressed that I spoke for a minute and a half. Some people would not think twice about that. But for me that was a huge step.

When I pressed publish after the last match of my trip, I felt like I lost 20 pounds. I felt at peace with myself. I wasn’t expecting it to go viral on social media and definitely did not expect all the nice messages that people have sent me. That made me feel so much better.

To be clear, I don’t want people to feel bad for me. Everybody faces obstacles in life. But millions of people live with a stutter, so I know there are so many others out there going through similar challenges, too.

This is also bigger than a stutter. This is about overcoming fear. All this time I did not even think of talking to anyone about this. But I realised that nobody is perfect, and there is nothing wrong with that. It makes you who you are and if you are able to overcome that fear, that is a huge accomplishment. I’ve won many tennis matches in my life, but overcoming my fear has felt so much better than any of my victories on the court.

Now I can just be myself. I’m Ernesto. I’m not the guy with a stutter. If people accept you, they accept you. If they don’t, it doesn’t really matter. Who cares?

I know it’s a really scary feeling, dealing with a stutter or any problem. I just want people to know that they are not alone.

If I could help out one person by sharing my story, it would mean so much to me. I really think this will help me continue to embrace who I am, too.

It’s okay to not be perfect. For so long I wanted to hide who I am. Now, I don’t have to.

– as told to Andrew Eichenholz

Holger Rune made a spirited comeback bid on Wednesday night against Casper Ruud, but ultimately found a two-set hole too much to dig out of after a sluggish start in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. While the Dane was quick to credit his opponent after the 1-6, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6 defeat, Rune ultimately put the blame for the result squarely on his own shoulders.

“I think I started very, very bad, unfortunately,” he reflected. “I didn’t find my level at all the first two sets. Then I started to play a little bit better, found some rhythm in my game, managed to put him under pressure.

“But, again, it’s too costly to start so late. Against a great player like him, he deserved to win because, first of all, I wasn’t there the first two sets. But you cannot allow yourself to do that when you play a player like Casper, and any player at the top of the game, because it’s too long of a way back. Credit to him for staying there.”

“He deserved to win” 🎤

A glimpse into Holger Rune’s press conference.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/vzECcoNk3I

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2023

After making 30 unforced errors in the first two sets, Rune began to fire off his forehand wing to take set three. But it was too little, too late, as Ruud closed out the win in a competitive fourth set.

Asked if his exertions in a five-set, fourth-round win against Francisco Cerundolo affected his play, Rune dismissed the idea. 

“Not at all. I was fine physically. No excuse,” he said. “I just didn’t play my level. It’s tough, but sometimes it’s like this, and you have to learn from it, come back stronger. We have another Grand Slam around the corner, so I hope to be stronger there. I’m happy that the clay season is over now. I’m ready to move on. Yeah, just focused on the grass now.”

The ATP Tour’s grass swing begins on 12 June with a pair of ATP 250 events in Stuttgart and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

For the second straight year in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, Casper Ruud edged fellow Scandinavian Holger Rune in four entertaining sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier. On Wednesday evening, the fourth-seeded Norwegian earned a 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory against the Dane to continue his bid for a second consecutive final at the clay-court major.

Ruud improved to 5-1 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head, avenging a Rome semi-final defeat from last month. All six of their meetings have come on clay. By winning the matchup of two of the most successful clay-court players this season, Ruud picked up his 16th win on the surface in 2023 (16-5), drawing him level on wins with Rune (16-4).

“I’m very, very relieved. I came into this match just trying to play without pressure. But it’s not easy, obviously. You’re playing a big match and against Holger it’s never easy,” Ruud said in his on-court interview. “He plays very aggressive. Luckily for me the first two sets he wasn’t probably feeling it too well, he was doing a lot of errors, so I sort of got a lot of points for free.

“So that helped the nerves, but he fought back. Third set he came out playing better and then in the fourth set I was just lucky to get that one break and then keep it all the way out.”

The victory moved Ruud above Rune to No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings; he could rise past Stefanos Tsitsipas and maintain his status as World No. 4 by reaching his third Grand Slam final, but cannot move any higher even with his first major title. The 24-year-old will meet Alexander Zverev in Friday’s semis, after the German beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry in four sets earlier on Wednesday.

Ruud dominated the opening two sets of the quarter-final as his 20-year-old opponent seemed to show the effects of his five-set victory against Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round. The Norwegian’s dominance in the rallies left Rune struggling to find a response, with the Dane misfiring by big margins from the baseline and unsuccessfully taking risks to shorten points.

After saving a break point in the opening game of set three, Rune grabbed a lifeline with an early break, his comeback bid spurred on by the evening Chatrier crowd. Fueled by his forehand, Rune summoned his best tennis to power through the set without facing another break point, but his charge was cut short when Ruud broke for 3-1 in the fourth.

Court coverage 💯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/wFyF7V6aeM

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2023

The Dane made his opponent earn his victory, bringing up 15/40 in the ensuing return game and later saving two match points on serve to make it 3-5. But the fourth seed had no problem serving out the match, clinching victory on his fifth match point to return to the semi-finals — a stage at which he is 3-0 at the majors.

Rune, who has had his two best major showings by reaching back-to-back quarters at Roland Garros, is the second Danish man to reach that stage in multiple majors (Kurt Nielsen). He was denied in his bid to become the first Danish men’s singles semi-finalist at a major since Jan Leschly at the 1967 US Championships.