Carlos Alcaraz reminded everyone why he is among the brightest stars in the sport after he tore apart No. 12 seed Tommy Paul in a ruthless 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory in their French Open quarterfinal. The No. 2 seed required only 94 minutes to secure his semifinal spot for the third year running at Roland Garros.

The 21-year-old Spaniard came into Court Philippe-Chatrier the strong favorite, but few could have predicted the total domination he would exhibit over the American. From the get-go, he was in complete command from the very first ball.

Alcaraz Fires Warning Shot in Opening Set

French Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz Crushes Tommy Paul to Reach French Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz Crushes Tommy Paul to Reach
DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Alcaraz did not waste time in asserting his dominance. According to TalkSport, he zoomed through the first set in 30 minutes, claiming 14 winners and giving away only one point on serve. The 6-0 margin was the first time in their seven encounters that Paul had lost a game in a set to Alcaraz.

Alcaraz's laser-like intensity and tireless intensity left Paul grasping at explanations. His speed, timing, and velocity were on full display, earning the praise of commentators and the crowd.

Blistering Second Set: Spaniard Close to Winning

While the initial set was overwhelming, the second set was equally merciless. Alcaraz wrapped it up in 23 minutes, losing merely three first serves out of 20. Paul could only get to win a single game, though the set highlighted the Spaniard's almost error-free performance.

At the end of the second set, it was certain the match was going in one direction. Even seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander termed Alcaraz's performance as "perfect."

Paul's Resistance Not Enough in Final Set

To his credit, Paul displayed heart in the third set, at last mounting some resistance and being able to break Alcaraz's rhythm for a moment. But it was too little, too late to prevent the inevitable. Alcaraz finished off the match in style, boosting his head-to-head against Paul to 5-2.

Following the match, Alcaraz thanked the Paris crowd for their backing and jokingly apologized for the lopsided scoreline.

"I know the crowd wanted to watch more tennis, so I have to say sorry about that. I had to do my work."

According to The Straits Times, Alcaraz's dominant win was inspired by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz vs Musetti Soon

Next, Alcaraz will face Italy's Lorenzo Musetti, who secured his place in the semifinals after defeating Frances Tiafoe in four sets.

Musetti's victory wasn't without drama, as he controversially kicked a ball toward a line judge and received only a warning. Many fans drew comparisons to Novak Djokovic's disqualification at the 2020 US Open for a similar act.