"I knew it was illegal" - Carlos Alcaraz clears the air about his sportsmanship moment at the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz has explained why he conceded a crucial point to Ben Shelton even after the umpire ruled in his favor in the French Open fourth round. He outfoxed the American in four sets on Sunday, 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Alcaraz entered Paris after a title-winning run in Rome. He continued his purple patch by defeating Fabian Marozsan, Damir Dzumhur and Ben Shelton en route to the quarterfinals.

The Spaniard showed great sportsmanship in the fourth round by giving up a point to Ben Shelton, overruling the umpire’s call. He reflected on the situation in his post-match press conference and said:

“I just thought I couldn’t not say anything no would have felt guilty if I didn’t say anything about it. It’s just about.. if I know I did a wrong thing, an illegal shot, I have to be honest with myself. With Ben. With everyone," Carlos Alcaraz said

"I think that’s the sport. It should be like this. Just to be fair with the opponent and with yourself. I said it because I knew it was an illegal shot. It shouldn’t be allowed," he added

Alcaraz is the defending champion at the French Open this year. He is through to the quarterfinals in Paris for the fourth year in a row.

The second seed saved three-set points to clinch the first-set tie-breaker against Shelton. Here is the controversial point that he decided to concede against the American.

Alcaraz and Shelton faced each other for the third time on tour in Paris. The Spaniard dominates their head-to-head record 3-0.

The 22-year-old spoke about the mutual respect he shares with Shelton. He highlighted an instance in the first set, where the American offered him to replay the point on court.

"At the first set Ben had a thing, for example, his serve touched the net, the umpire didn’t see it. He asked me ‘We can repeat it if you want.’ It’s just about the respect we have for each other. I think the sport should be like this,” he added

---

Carlos Alcaraz will take on Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals of the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz in action at the 2025 French Open - Day Eight - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz is making his fifth appearance in the French Open this year. He will lock horns with Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.

While Alcaraz edged past Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul made light work of Alexei Popyrin in the fourth round. He defeated the Australian in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Alcaraz leads the head-to-head against Paul 4-2. He defeated the American most recently in the quarterfinals of the Summer Olympics in Paris. The winner of this match will take on either Lorenzo Musetti or Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. The duo are scheduled to play on Tuesday (June 3, 2025).