Carlos Alcaraz says he 'suffered' during brutally honest reflection after Roland Garros third round win

The defending champion stormed through the opening two sets 6-1, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but nearly lost control as Dzumhur fought back to claim the third set 6-4.

Alcaraz was forced to dig deep in the fourth set, eventually securing a 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory that lasted over three hours.

The Spaniard acknowledged his energy levels dropped significantly after his dominant start, allowing his opponent to seize momentum and threaten what had seemed like a straightforward progression to the fourth round.

Alcaraz explained after the match: "That's why it's difficult to win Grand Slams because you have to play a really high level of tennis for three to four hours and maintain your focus. That is the most difficult part of tennis."

The 22-year-old admitted his opponent's tactical shift caught him off guard.

"The first two sets were under control and then he decided to play deeper and more aggressively. My energy went down and it was difficult to push myself, but I had to give everything I had inside."

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Dzumhur's resurgence saw him take the third set and establish a break advantage in the fourth, playing what was described as "immaculate tennis" during his comeback attempt.

Alcaraz acknowledged the challenge of maintaining peak performance throughout lengthy Grand Slam encounters, highlighting the mental and physical demands of elite tennis.

Despite the struggle, Alcaraz expressed pride in securing the victory and spoke passionately about his aggressive playing style.

"In the end, I'm proud to get the win in the end. I love playing this kind of game. Playing aggressively, hitting great forehands and going to the net.

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"When I play with confidence, I just go for it. Find the power and just kill it. I like to do that."

The defending champion emphasised the importance of recovery between matches at Grand Slam level.

"Now I have to recover. We play a match on court and then we play another match to try and recover to be ready for the next match."

Former world number one Jim Courier suggested Alcaraz's explosive style, whilst captivating, could prevent him from reaching the heights of tennis's all-time greats.

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Speaking to TNT Sports, Courier said: “I couldn’t be more torn about this. I could not be more in love with the style of tennis he brings to the court and in awe of it because it is something so unique.

“His unbelievably aggressive mindset is so different from the Spanish mentality, which is concentrated and percentage tennis.

“Then the other part of me that wants to see him challenge the all-time great records thinks if he could just do a little less of that, maybe in 15 years’ time we could be looking at you and Novak [Djokovic], Rafa [Nadal] and Roger [Federer]."

Alcaraz now faces American Ben Shelton in the fourth round on Sunday, with the Spaniard holding a 2-0 advantage in their head-to-head record.

The encounter promises to be a dynamic showdown between two aggressive players, though Shelton's powerful serve is expected to be slowed by the red clay surface in Paris.

The defending Roland Garros champion will enter as the heavy favourite for what should be a thrilling last-16 clash.