Carlos Alcaraz forfeited a game to Novak Djokovic so he could receive treatment from the physio. The world No 1 started suffering with what appeared to be cramp at the start of the third set. He chose to give his opponent a break of serve so he could have a medical time out without waiting for the next changeover. And it sparked some boos from the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd.
There were concerning scenes at the French Open on Friday as Alcaraz was suddenly barely able to walk at 1-1 in the third set. The pair had split sets and momentum was with the top seed but he pulled up on his leg and looked to be cramping in his right thigh.
Djokovic and the umpire quickly came to his side but the 20-year-old was unable to be seen by the physio until the next changeover, which was due after one more game. The problem was so severe that Alcaraz opted to forfeit the game on his own serve, which gave the Serb a break.
The trainer was quickly called to the court and worked on his thigh. But the world No 1 was still struggling and quickly got broken in his next game as he could be seen airing his concerns to his support camp.
The 10-time title winner called the trainer again at the next changeover but once again, the treatment didn't make much difference. According to Eurosport Spain, Alcaraz discussed retiring with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
"It's too soon to retire," the world No 1 said. The third set flew by as Djokovic broke the struggling Alcaraz again to take it 6-1 in 34 minutes as the Spaniard could barely walk.
It was a stark contrast from the previous two sets which lasted 57 and 72 minutes respectively. There were concerns that Alcaraz could retire as he continued to gesture to his player box but instead, he took a toilet break at the end of the set, leaving the court.
There were some promising signs when Alcaraz had two break points but he couldn't convert them and got broken himself, still struggling with his movement despite some improvement.