Carlos Alcaraz is marching on with his French Open title defense and just took another step closer to the final. The defending champion faced off against 12th seed Tommy Paul in the men’s quarterfinal on Court Philippe Chatrier, a rematch of their Olympic showdown from last year, which Alcaraz won in straight sets. Paul, the last American standing in the men’s draw, had a mountain to climb after Frances Tiafoe fell earlier to Lorenzo Musetti. But the climb looked steeper than ever, as the Alcaraz bakery opened up again in Paris while the American seemed riddled with injuries.

Paul came into the match trying to pull off something he’s never done before: beat a top-10 player at a Grand Slam. So far, he’s 0–4 in those attempts on clay. Add to that a 0–2 record against top-two players on this surface, and the numbers weren’t in his favor. But the 28-year-old has been making quiet history this season. With his run at Roland Garros, he became one of the few Americans to reach the quarterfinals on all three surfaces — hard, grass, and now clay.

Still, the quarterfinal didn’t start well for him. Alcaraz dominated from the first ball and handed Paul a bagel in the opening set. The Spaniard was untouchable on serve and gave Paul no room to breathe. Paul finally got on the board in the second set with a love hold, cracking a 141 mph serve. But that brief spark didn’t last. Alcaraz tightened his grip again and ran away with the second set, 6-1. Paul tried to comeback in the third set as he held serves for 4 games, but for all his fight he was broken in the 5th game for the Spaniard to close it out 6-4.

While Alcaraz’s shot-making was dazzling, fans couldn’t help but notice Tommy Paul’s movement wasn’t quite right. And that raised some questions.

Tommy Paul’s performance at the French Open sparks injury concerns

There’s been speculation all week that Tommy Paul hasn’t been 100% fit. Former tennis pro and Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs weighed in during the match, tweeting, “Now, unless Tommy asked to have more time. This match WAS RIDICULOUS to put at night knowing the potential leg injury to Tommy Paul. He will be lucky to finish this match.”

Fans also chimed in with concern. One wrote, “People were talking crazy 2 days ago saying Tommy Paul’s injury was fake. No look what a real player is doing to him😭😭”

Paul has been pushing through the pain throughout the tournament. He’s been dealing with a lower abdominal injury, which he’s mentioned in press conferences. It was serious enough to require MRIs before the tournament. But despite the setbacks, Paul kept showing up and finding ways to win.

In fact, in his third-round match against Karen Khachanov, Tommy Paul had to fight through painful cramps late in the fifth set. But the toll it’s taken is starting to show now. And even in this match he was seen wearing a band on his thigh.

One fan wrote, “Tommy Paul gets dusted 6-0 in the opening set. He should just retire, he’s not going to challenge Carlos with the injury he’s carrying. But knowing Tommy, he’s going to fight til the end. Hope he doesn’t hurt himself more.”

Just taking a peek at his serve stats tell the whole story. So far in the match, Paul has topped out at 140 mph on his fastest serve. But here’s where things get telling: his average first serve speed is down to 114 mph, and his second serve is crawling at just 98 mph. For a player like Paul, that’s a red flag. When fully fit, Paul usually clocks an average first serve somewhere between 114 and 124 mph, which means he’s clearly holding back. And that second serve? It’s practically sitting up for Carlos Alcaraz to feast on.

Another fan wasn’t buying the injury and wrote, “Carlitos is putting on a masterclass, but the broadcast wants to keep talking about Tommy Paul and an “injury” he might have. He took care of Popyrin in straights and had all the rest before this match, do not retire, take this beating like a man.”

The 22-year-old came into this quarterfinal clash with the odds firmly in his favor and for good reason. The defending champion led the head-to-head against Tommy Paul 4–2 before this match. He also carried some serious momentum onto the red dirt. With a 19–1 record on clay this season, Alcaraz is not just surviving, he’s thriving. He leads the ATP Tour in match wins (34) and titles (three) in 2025. And as if that wasn’t enough, this win has now extended his Roland Garros win streak to 11 matches. With this quarterfinal victory, Alcaraz becomes the first defending men’s champion to reach the semifinals in Paris since Rafael Nadal in 2021.

One fan expressed their sympathy for the American and wrote, “Paul’s ab and right thigh injury is pretty sad here. I hope he completes the match and doesn’t make it too bad before Wimbledon.”

Tommy Paul reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2024, marking his best performance at this Grand Slam event to date. He entered the tournament as one of the in-form players on tour, having recently won the Queen’s Club Championships. The World No. 12 will aim to reset, regroup, and reignite the form that made him a champion there. Can he stay healthy long enough to defend his title and make another deep run at Wimbledon?