At first glance, Carlos Alcaraz is performing on clay just as he did last year.
In 2023, the Spaniard won titles on home soil in Barcelona and Madrid, just like in 2022. He has also won through to the last eight in Paris, a repeat of 12 months ago.
Yet unlike 2022, Alcaraz is achieving these feats armed with greater stability and experience.
He arrived at Roland Garros last year in a whirlwind of hype and excitement. His performances during the clay-court season – among them back-to-back upsets of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in Madrid – led many to install him as their tournament favourite, despite the fact he had rarely played five-set tennis nor gone beyond the quarters at a major.
He played like he felt that burden. He saved match point in a second-round struggle against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and later lost to Alexander Zverev, a player who only weeks earlier he’d dominated in the Madrid final.
This time around, there have been no such wobbles, save for one set lost to Taro Daniel in round two. In fact, his level has improved ever since, with the 20-year-old overwhelming quality opponents in Denis Shapovalov and Lorenzo Musetti in his last two matches to return to the last eight.
“I think this was my best match in the tournament so far. I think I played a good level,” he said after allowing Musetti just seven games on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Smoother progress in Paris makes sense, given Alcaraz is competing at this tournament a changed player.
He remains one of the youngest at the top of the game, but he is now a reigning Grand Slam champion with several weeks under his belt at world No.1.
The unique rhythms of a two-week tournament played in a five-set format no longer feel so unfamiliar. The pressure of being the top seed at a major for the first time is countered by the fact he’s had plenty of time to adjust to a No.1 next to his name.
“I would say I'm the same player than last year, only change that I would say is that I'm more mature,” Alcaraz said prior to the tournament.
“Mentally I'm better. And I can read what happened on court better than last year. For me, it's really, really important, and I would say it's the most different than last year.
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“At the beginning when I played against the best (players) in the best stadiums, it was tough for me to get used to that and to stay calm.
“But I learned from that moments. I remember, for example, against Rafa for my first time in Madrid, it was really, really tough. I can name a lot of matches that I didn't feel comfortable playing on that.
“But as I said, I learned from that… Right now I feel great playing in the great stadiums.”
He’ll be back in one of the great tennis stadiums when he plays Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in his first Roland Garros semifinal.
Unlike the rapid shifts and adjustments he has experienced during his ascendant career, one constant has been his performance against Tsitsipas.
It’s a match-up Alcaraz dominates. He has won at Grand Slams and at tour level, on hard courts and on clay. The first was a thrilling five-set win at the 2021 US Open; the most recent was a straight-sets triumph in the Barcelona final, just over a month ago.
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“We have played great matches. I won every match that we have played,” said Alcaraz, who leads the series 4-0.
“But it doesn't mean that I'm going to win every match that we are gonna play. I have to be really focused. He's a really tough opponent.
“But of course his game is a good game from my side.”
Tsitsipas may not be the favourite, but the Greek sees the looming clash as an opportunity.
"Right now he's one of the biggest obstacles and challenges for any player to compete against. It pushes us all to be better," Tsitsipas said.
"Getting to play him as much as possible will eventually give you more chances perhaps to beat him, if that makes sense.
"I'm looking for those chances myself."