The difference between a very good tennis player and a great one is that the great one plays the bigger moments better. They hardly ever let up or believe they are defeated. The player understands that at any minute, a match can change, and they want to be the one who changes it in a positive way.
In the fourth round of the 2025 French Open, very good Ben Shelton lost to the great Carlos Alcaraz. Shelton had his chances, including having two set points in the first set, but he could not hold off the Spaniard, and Alcaraz won the first-set tie-break 10-8.
To be sure, both players were playing exceedingly well, and each game was a mini-drama unto itself. The first set alone took 66 minutes to play. But Shelton simply could not take advantage of the moments he had to change the course of the match.
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Ben Shelton to move into the quarterfinals of the 2025 French Open
Neither player was broken until the second set when Alcaraz got a break off Shelton, and held his serve to take set two 6-3.
In the third set, Shelton got a break off Alcaraz early in the set, but the Spaniard broke back in the next game to even the set. If the score looked even between the American and the Spaniard, one could assume that Alcaraz still had the advantage. That turned out not to be the case for one set, however.
Shelton would have beaten most players he faced on Sunday. His issue was that he was taking on the best men's clay-court player currently. Alcaraz is ranked No. 2 on the ATP tour, but on clay, he has proven to be the best. He is the heavy favorite to win his second-straight French Open.
The power each player had was immense. Alcaraz had one forehand clocked at 117 mph. Shelton's huge forehands were routinely over 100 mph. It was well-struck tennis performed at a very high level, and because of that, Shelton was able to steal the third set, getting two breaks off Alcaraz.
Coming back from two sets down in a Grand Slam is difficult against any player, though, especially Alcaraz. The American was going to force him to take the match. Alcaraz got a break at 1-all in the fourth set, though, and the outcome of the match seemed certain. He held the rest of the way to take the match 7-6(8) 6-3 4-6 6-4 in nearly three and a half hours.
He will move into the quarterfinals, where he will face another American, Tommy Paul. Paul is in top form and defeated Alexei Popyrin in his fourth-round match in straight sets.