French Open live reaction (2024)

• Men's semifinals day at Roland Garros on Day 13 sees:
• Zverev (4) beat stricken Ruud (7) in four sets.
• Alcaraz (3) beat Jannik Sinner (2) in five-set thriller.
• Zverev has settled domestic abuse case out of court today.

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One other bit of news from today, which would give a different look to US viewers of the Roland Garros action in future.

Warner Bros. Discovery has a 10-year, $650 million deal in place to be the new home of the French Open in the United States beginning in 2025, executives briefed on the agreement told The Athletic.

NBC has been the longtime home of the Grand Slam, sharing the coverage currently with Tennis Channel. However WBD, which is the home of TNT Sports, has a bit on its plate right now and is in the midst of negotiations with the NBA as it tries to hang on to some rights to games.

You can read all the key details with this piece from our senior writer, Andrew Marchand, below.

And then there was Alexander Zverev, who fought the demons of three French Open semifinal defeats in the past three years — including a straight sets defeat last year to Casper Ruud — to this time, beating the Norwegian on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

It wasn't straightforward and Ruud's health issues played a significant role in a fraught match. But Zverev came through it and is now vowing to show he is ready to become a Grand Slam winner.

You can read all the key details below, again from James Hansen.

It was a beauty of a first semifinal earlier, as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played out a five-set thriller on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Spaniard came out on top in the end, but that was only part of the fun. You can catch up on all the action with this below, from our correspondent in Paris, Charlie Eccleshare, and our tennis editor James Hansen.

While the men’s singles semifinals played out to decide the line-up for Sunday’s final at Roland Garros, we also got a couple of doubles finals teed up too.

The big story came with Jasmine Paolini and the fact her French Open will NOT end with Saturday’s singles final against Iga Swiatek. Oh no.

The Italian now also has the women’s doubles final to look forward to, after she and compatriot Sara Errani — the 11th seeds — beat Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach Sunday’s final.

There they will face fifth seeds, Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova.

As for the men’s doubles, the top seeds fell at the semifinal stage with Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos losing to ninth seeds, Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

It’s the 11th seeds, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, who await in Saturday’s final.

Awaiting Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final will be Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard beat new world No 1 Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller.

With that win and at 21 years and 33 days, Alcaraz is the fifth-youngest player to claim his fifth win against a top-five opponent in a men’s singles Grand Slam since the ATP rankings were published in 1973.

Nicely done, Carlos.

A little bit of context for Alexander Zverev’s achievement tonight. He becomes the second German player in the Open Era to reach the Men’s Singles final at Roland Garros.

The first? That would be Michael Stich, back in 1996.

However, these are the quotes that may well hang around a bit before Sunday’s final. Alexander Zverev’s only other Grand Slam final came almost four years ago against Dominic Thiem, at the 2020 US Open.

He was asked about that match on court just now too:

💬 “I was two sets up and a break up, and I was two points away from winning the match. But I was not ready. I was not mature enough. I was maybe too much of a kid still. I didn’t know what the occasion means, and that’s why I lost.

“I’m 27 now so definitely not a kid any more and if not now, then when?”

It’s a wonderful moment for Alexander Zverev (4), whose win over an ailing Casper Ruud means he will now face Carlos Alcaraz (3) in Sunday's final.

Here’s what Zverev just said on Court Philippe-Chatrier:

💬 “I’m extremely happy. I’ve got so much history on this court. Some of the best memories and some of the worst. I’m so happy to make the final on my fourth semi and I’ll give it my all on Sunday.

“I felt the first two sets were at a very high level, then at the end of the third set I saw him moving slower. But his shots were still the same and if you’re passive, he’s still going to win the match. Credit to Casper for fighting to the end. He is a great champion and a great person.”

There’s no shake of the hands at the net, with Ruud struggling with a stomach bug.

Zverev (4) will appreciate that. He now has a men’s singles final to look forward to on Sunday, when he takes on Alcaraz (3).

That will be the German’s first French Open final — after his fourth consecutive semifinal.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 2-6 ZVEREV

How are the nerves, Sacha? Not much better as Ruud (7) hits a beauty to go 0-15.

But from there, Zverev (4) takes charge as his 18th ace of the match brings up 30-15.

Ruud looks done as a backhand winner - Zverev's 53rd winner tonight — tees up two match points, and he aces on the first.

It’s Zverev into the final!

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 3-5* ZVEREV

Another fairly comfortable hold for Zverev, although Ruud tries to force the issue by coming into the net on 30-15 — albeit off the back of fairly average approach shots.

Zverev serves out with an ace, before Ruud gets out to 30-0 on his serve.

But back comes Zverev, highlighted by a stunning backhand from around the net. He shouts into the air, as Ruud applauds it on his racket.

The German soon moves to a double-break point, and again he keeps the rally long enough to work the space for a backhand winner.

Zverev is now serving for his place in Sunday’s final.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 2-3* ZVEREV

Fair play, Casper Ruud. The seventh seed is moving with a little more energy. There’s even a couple of modest fist pumps as he gets to 40-30 before grabbing another game on his own serve.

The issue is, it feels like there’s a limit to his capabilities tonight — and Alexander Zverev is merely ticking down the points until the big ones come.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 1-3* ZVEREV

Spider cam, spider cam, it’s making Sacha Zverev an angry man (please do sing that to the appropriate superhero theme tune).

The problem is the camera suspended above the court. Apparently it's in Zverev’s view when he is in his service ball toss. He tells the umpire, she vocalizes her understanding. But that’s about it.

The frustration doesn’t last too long for Zverev either, as he goes on to hold with an incredible dying forehand off a very reasonable return from Ruud.

The German for once gives up a couple of points on his serve, but the outcome is the same. He’s now three games from the final.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 1-2* ZVEREV

This is a real shame. Ruud does brilliantly to hold his serve to 15, doing so with a wonderful backhand pass.

But you can tell it’s all such an effort and as a contest, Ruud is playing his own body as much as he’s having to deal with the German on the other side of the net.

He’s still arguing with the umpire over that call in Zverev’s last service game. Now he gets up to face another one.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 *0-2 ZVEREV

Into the fourth set, then. Casper Ruud takes a toilet break ahead of getting us underway — and there’s no hiding the drop in first-serve average speed from the Norwegian as he fights this stomach ache:

• 1st set: 188km/h
• 2nd set: 184km/h
• 3rd set: 185km/h
• 4th set*: 170km/h

Ruud comes out with a burst of energy but it soon dissipates as Alexander Zverev overpowers him with two winners and two break points; the second taking him up an early break.

Zverev consolidates that with another hold to love, including Ruud losing a discussion with the umpire over a call he didn’t like. Which probably says here he is at right now.

For those thinking about a possible Zverev-Alcaraz final on Sunday...

The head-to-head is surprisingly in the German's favour, 5-4. Zverev also won their most recent Grand Slam meeting: a four-set success at the Australian Open in January.

However, Alcaraz exacted some revenge by winning comfortably in Indian Wells two months later.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-6 *0-0 ZVEREV

Welcome back to the ringer, Alexander Zverev. Serving for the third set, the fourth seed delivers a couple of aces. Lovely jubbley.

Then one unforced error is followed by two double faults. Falling apart? Not so much. Three huge serves and Zverev has this third set in the bag.

The question now is, what has Casper Ruud got left in the tank? And the answer is unlikely to be more painkillers.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 4-5* ZVEREV

Perhaps it should be expected with how this is developing, but Zverev holds to love for the third time this set and Ruud is looking more poorly with each passing game.

There are a few puffs out of the cheeks of almost a grimace at his final serve in that game, but the good news is another short point hands him a serve.

Onto Zverev to serve out this third set for a 2-1 lead.

RUUD 6-2 2-6 3-4* ZVEREV

Much of Zverev’s improvement here owes to his serving, and his first-serve percentage tells the story.

He was on just 44% for the match early in the second set; he’s now at 62%. In fact, he’s at 86% for this third set right now.

Both players hold with relative ease over their next two games — but while Zverev is serving well, Ruud is trying to keep the points short and spends the changeover looking particularly stricken.