Alcaraz drops a set against Shelton but advances to Roland-Garros quarterfinals
For the fourth consecutive year, Carlos Alcaraz will feature in the Roland-Garros quarterfinals after defeating Ben Shelton (7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4) this Sunday.
This was the first clay-court meeting between the two players, following two previous hard-court encounters (Toronto 2023 and Laver Cup 2024), both won by Alcaraz. Shelton gave the world No. 2 a tough challenge, earning three set points in the first-set tiebreak. However, the Spaniard ultimately clinched the decisive game 10-8.
After saving six break points in the opening game of the second set, Alcaraz surged ahead with a late-set break (4-3), putting him in firm control with a two-set lead.
Shelton, playing in his first Roland-Garros round of 16, refused to back down and managed to snatch the third set with a break at 5-4.
Yet, it wasn’t enough to unsettle Alcaraz, who accelerated early in the fourth set. The defending champion sealed the victory on his second match point after 3 hours and 19 minutes of play.
In the quarterfinals, he will face another American, Tommy Paul, who earlier in the day defeated Alexei Popyrin (6-3, 6-3, 6-3).
French Open 
