The old adage “cheaters never win and winners never cheat,” found its way to Paris on Sunday evening.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Ben Shelton in four sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier to advance to the French Open Quarterfinals.
Surprisingly, his most impressive moment of the match was a point he lost.
Early in the second set, Alcaraz was brought to the net in an engaging rally with Shelton.
The young American tried to cross the Spaniard with a strong forehand. It forced Alcaraz to extend his body and racket as far as possible to reach it.
He was seemingly able to return the shot and win the point but as quickly as cheers rained down, Alcaraz immediately dismantled them.
He approached the judge and said that lost control of his racket before making contact with the ball. It’s an illegal play and would forfeit the point to Shelton.
Alcaraz didn’t care.
Great sportsmanship from Carlos Alcaraz in his match against Shelton at Roland Garros.
He made the shot.
But he immediately told the umpire he didn’t have the racquet in his hand when the racquet made contact with the ball.
Gotta love this guy. ❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 1, 2025
The young Spaniard prioritized sportsmanship over a crucial point and in the end it didn’t matter. He won 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in an entertaining fourth round showdown.
Alcaraz is just 22 years old, but he clinched his 100th career win on clay and did it in style.
However the real story was, once again, Carlos showing his maturity and poise at such a young age.
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