"I think the intensity that Novak Djokovic brought from the first ball surprised Carlos Alcaraz" - Boris Becker

Boris Becker has shared his analysis of Carlos Alcaraz's defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the 2023 French Open semifinals.

The highly anticipated clash between Alcaraz and Djokovic on Friday lived up to its expectations in the opening sets. Djokovic started strong to claim a break in the fourth game, before fending off three set points to claim the opener. Subsequently, Alcaraz raised his level in the second set, claiming a crucial break to level the scores.

Despite the third set looking poised to continue in a similarly engrossing fashion, the match took an unexpected turn when Alcaraz suddenly halted play at 1-1 due to severe cramping. In accordance with the rules, the World No. 1 forfeited a game to Djokovic in order to receive treatment for the cramps.

Alcaraz's performance was visibly hampered by the cramps for the remainder of the match as he only won one game before Djokovic claimed a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory and advanced to the final.

In an interview with Eurosport, Boris Becker broke down the reasons behind Alcaraz's cramping woes and subsequent defeat. The German felt that the mental aspect played a significant role, as Djokovic's intensity at the offset of the match may have caught Alcaraz off-guard.

"There are many reasons why Novak won and Carlos lost. The physical begins in the head. I think the intensity that Novak brought from the first ball surprised Carlos. I didn't expect it like that," Becker said.

Becker theorized that the Serb observed and took advantage of Alcaraz's tendency to exert too much energy in chasing down every ball.

In my opinion, he almost ran too much. I have rarely seen a player who can reach so many balls. I say : Save your energy, let it go when the score is 40-0 or 40-15. Novak saw that," he added.

Becker also expressed concerns over the Spaniard's decision to forgo training on his days off, which may have contributed to a dip in his fitness level.

"What also worried me: Carlos has not trained on his days off in the last 10 days. You can do it from time to time, but when that's the routine, there is a bit of a lack of fitness," he said.

Novak Djokovic set to face Casper Ruud in the French Open final

Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 French Open SF

Novak Djokovic will be up against Casper Ruud in the 2023 French Open final on Sunday. Ruud eased past Alexander Zverev in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 to advance to his second consecutive Roland Garros final.

Djokovic enjoys a perfect head-to-head record against the Norwegian, having won each of their four previous encounters. The Serb won their most recent clash at the 2022 ATF Finals in straight sets.

Should the 22-time Grand Slam champion continue his dominance over Ruud in the final, he will reclaim the World No. 1 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz and also take the lead in the Race to the ATP Finals.