French Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz's act of 'sportsmanship' against Ben Shelton receives Court Philippe-Chatrier's roar of approval
Published 01/06/2025 at 20:10 GMT+1
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Reigning French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was widely prasied for an extraordinary moment of sportsmanship in his round-of-16 match with America's Ben Shelton. Alcaraz, the World No. 2, overcame Shelton in a thrilling encounter for a place in the quarter-finals where he will face Tommy Paul. The American booked his place in the last eight at Roland-Garros after defeating Alexei Popyrin.
Watch amazing sportsmanship from Alcaraz as he concedes point after freak winner
Video credit: TNT Sports
Carlos Alcaraz was praised for an extraordinary moment of sportsmanship in his French Open round-of-16 match against Ben Shelton.
Reigning Roland-Garros champion Alcaraz took on Shelton on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday, and booked his spot into the quarter-finals after an epic battle
And after the Spaniard narrowly took the first set via tie-break, Shelton applied the pressure at the start of the second in a bid to break his opponent’s serve.
With the scores locked at 30-30 in the first game of the second set, Alcaraz appeared to wrap up a rally by prodding the ball over the net on the stretch.
While the Philippe-Chatrier roared in approval at Alcaraz for seemingly claiming the advantage in the set for the first time, the the World No. 2 subsequently turned to the umpire, shook his finger, and signalled that he had thrown his racket to reach the ball.
The umpire then announced to the stadium that Alcaraz had admitted to not having the racket in his hand at the point of contact, and that the Spaniard had conceded the point to his American opponent.
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'Dusted in brilliance' - Watch as Alcaraz wins incredible opening set against Shelton
Video credit: TNT Sports
The stadium once again signalled its approval towards the 22-year-old, but this time not for his tennis, but his sportsmanship.
TNT Sports commentator Nick Mullins said: "If you’re looking for sportsmanship, he’s not just handed any point to Ben Shelton through sportsmanship. He’s handed a break point."
The Spaniard will now take on Tommy Paul, who became the first American man since Andre Agassi in 2003 to reach the competition’s quarter-finals when he beat Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 earlier on Sunday.
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"Feeling pretty good," Paul said. "Obviously, it helps a lot when you play in under two hours, in a three-out-of-five set match.
"You like to start the tournament like that, getting a couple of straight-sets wins, but to get one today was special for me."
Stream the 2025 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+
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