Carlos Alcaraz pays tribute to his grandfather’s motto after French Open SF win against Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz reached his first French Open final after a thrilling five-set victory over Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner. After the match, Alcaraz honored his grandfather’s motto that inspired him throughout his career.

Alcaraz, seeded third at the clay-court Grand Slam, only dropped one set in his first five matches, defeating the likes of Sebastian Korda, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Stefanos Tsitsipas with ease. The Spaniard faced his toughest challenge in the semifinals against second seed Jannik Sinner.

The Italian, who was 12-0 in Grand Slam matches this year, started strongly and took the first set 6-2. Alcaraz bounced back and won the second set 6-3, but Sinner regained momentum and claimed the third set 6-3. The Spaniard fought back and won the next two sets 6-4, 6-3 to reach his third Grand Slam final.

After the match, Alcaraz took to X (formerly Twitter) to honor his grandfather’s legacy with his motto - "Cabeza, Corazon, Cojones," which translates to "head, heart, b*lls." The Spaniard, who had the motto inked on his arm, tweeted four emojis on Friday, June 8.

"🧠❤️🥚🥚" the post was captioned.

Carlos Alcaraz, who has already won the 2023 Wimbledon Championships and the 2022 US Open, is aiming for his third Grand Slam title and his first on clay. It is also a historic occasion, as Alcaraz became the youngest man in the Open era to reach the Grand Slam final on all three surfaces.

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Alexander Zverev stands between Carlos Alcaraz and a maiden French Open title

Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open

Carlos Alcaraz will face fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the French Open final at Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday, June 9.

Zverev advanced to his first final at Roland Garros by defeating seventh seed Casper Ruud 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2 in the semifinal. The German, who lost to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, is seeking his maiden Grand Slam title after winning his second title in Rome.

Zverev and Alcaraz have faced once previously at the French Open in the 2022 quarterfinals, with the German winning 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7). The most recent encounter between the two came in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, with the Spaniard registering a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 win.

Victory for Carlos Alcaraz will see him win his third Grand Slam while Zverev will clinch his maiden Major if he comes out on top on Sunday, June 9.