The Tennis Channel reported that the 2023 French Open semifinal match between 20-year-old Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz and 36-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic was the second most watched match it has ever telecast.
This match took place on Friday, June 9, 2023, and it was widely hyped as the must-see match of the tournament from the moment the draws were announced and fans were informed that Alcaraz and Djokovic were on the same side of the draw.
the day we have been waiting for… 🔥
Alcaraz vs. Djokovic exclusively on Tennis Channel. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/o3s41Nkz7T
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 9, 2023
550,000 viewers tuned in to the semifinal.
The reality is that the match was outstanding for two sets.
At the beginning of the third set with the score tied 1-1, Alcaraz began to experience full-body cramps.
Unfortunately, he only won one more game after this happened.
The quality of tennis played between the two in the first two sets was among the best in the tournament.
Alcaraz admitted later to having a lot of nerves going into the match; he was aware of the hype.
Hopefully, there will be future meetings between these two players when both are healthy.
There is a lot of curiosity regarding the amount of talent Carlos Alcaraz has at such a young age, and he is sometimes unfairly compared to Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz’s only Grand Slam title at the 2022 U.S. Open happened when Novak Djokovic was not eligible to play due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The Highest Rated Match Was In 2022
The only match with higher ratings for Tennis Channel was the 2022 quarterfinal match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
660,000 viewers tuned in to watch that match.
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros was the 2nd most watched match in Tennis Channel’s history, with 530,000 views.
The most watched was Rafa Nadal vs Novak Djokovic from last year’s Roland Garros, with 666,000 views. pic.twitter.com/0xlgraoAHM
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 14, 2023
Impressive Numbers For TC
Both matches had amazing viewership considering they were weekday matches.
With the time difference between the United States and France, American viewers had to tune in during the daytime hours to watch these matches live.
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