The top two seeds and last year’s finalists, Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton, both moved into the semifinals at the BMW Open by Bitpanda.

Shelton, the No. 2 seed, survived a stern test from João Fonseca, prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes on Center Court. The 23-year-old struck seven aces and won 84 per cent of his first-service points across the three sets. “It was a much warmer day today with shorter rallies,” Shelton said after his first meeting with the 19-year-old. “He is an electric player, one of the rising stars on the tour. It’s a big match for him and there is a lot of excitement around him. He has many fans around the world, and I was looking forward to it, as it’s the type of atmosphere I like to play in. I’d love playing against him in Brazil one day. That’d be really cool.” Shelton advanced to his 14th ATP Tour semi and will meet Slovakian qualifier Alex Molcan on Saturday.

Molcan, ranked No. 166, beat Denis Shapovaolov 6-4, 6-4 in 78 minutes, winning 57 per cent of the total points. He became the lowest-ranked Munich semi-finalist since world No. 186 Gerald Melzer in 2015. “At the beginning of the week, I wasn’t even sure if I was getting into the tournament. I took a risk, I came here and made into the main draw,” Molcan said. “I am playing well. It feels unreal. The last two years were tough. I was struggling a lot. I had to undergo two surgeries, and it was a pretty dark tennis time for me, but I still believed that I could get back to some good level. Last year at this time I was playing Futures, now I am into the semis of an ATP 500. I don’t even know what to say. I am just proud of myself and my team.”

Top seed Alexander Zverev rallied past Francisco Cerundolo 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 to reach his fifth tour-level semi of the season. The match lasted two hours and 15 minutes. “I was 4-1 up in the first set but then he started playing and returning unbelievably,” Zverev said. “My first-serve percentage was very high, and I returned close to the baseline, so there was nothing I could do. I was happy with my level, even in the first set, and I am definitely happy to earn my first win over Francisco on clay.” In the other quarterfinal, fourth seed Flavio Cobolli defeated Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 26 minutes, breaking serve four times. “It wasn’t easy at all today. We fought for every point. It is always a pleasure to play against him, as he is also a nice guy,” Cobolli said. Zverev will face Cobolli in the other semi.

Two of the sport’s biggest names will not compete at the Mutua Madrid Open after separate withdrawals citing injury. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic announced they will miss the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.

For Alcaraz it is the second consecutive year he will be absent from his home Masters 1000 tournament. The 22-year-old missed the 2025 edition because of a right leg injury and this week confirmed he will also sit out the Spanish event after withdrawing from the Barcelona Open on Wednesday, citing a right wrist injury.

Alcaraz made a strong start to the clay season by reaching the Monte Carlo final last week, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. That defeat cost him the ATP world No. 1 ranking. He then traveled to Barcelona and told press, “This week is one where I should take a break, but Barcelona is a very special place for me.” He withdrew from the event after winning his opening match. He is next scheduled to compete in Rome and at Roland Garros, where he is the defending champion at the French Open.

On social media Alcaraz wrote: “Some news is incredibly hard to share. Madrid is home, one of the most special places on the calendar to me, and that’s why it hurts so much not being able to play here for the second year in a row,” and added, “It especially hurts not to be in front of my people, in a tournament that means so much. Thanks for your love always and I hope to see you all soon.” He also posted: “Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete @MutuaMadridOpen this year. I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!”

Earlier the same day three-time Madrid champion Novak Djokovic announced he would not play in Madrid, the third time in four years he has missed the event, also absent in 2023 and 2024. “I’m continuing my recovery in order to come back soon,” he wrote. “Hasta pronto! (See you soon!)”

© 2026 Mateo Villalba

The French Tennis Federation has laid out several tributes and new initiatives for the 2026 Roland Garros in a what’s-new guide published Thursday. Among the highlights are three special farewells and a pilot allowing players to wear connected devices during matches.

Gaël Monfils will be given control of Court Philippe Chatrier on May 21 for an evening billed as “Gael & Friends.” “Interactive segments and multiple surprises will punctuate this charity evening, with proceeds benefiting Terre d’Impact, the FFT’s fundraising foundation,” the announcement shared. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, along with “current stars of the game”, are scheduled to join Monfils during the festivities ahead of his 20th appearance at his home major.

Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo said: “Gaël has a history with Roland-Garros that is full of love and emotion, but he’s also a showman. We’ll be giving him free rein on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo”

Caroline Garcia, who retired in 2025, will return to Chatrier for a ceremony on June 4 between the women’s semifinals. The former world No. 4 is expecting her first child later this year with husband Borja Duran.

Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 Roland Garros champion, is described by organisers as a strong candidate to receive a wild card after narrowly missing the main-draw cutoff. Tournament officials say Wawrinka will be honoured at Porte d’Auteuil following his last match.

The schedule also includes a May 26 tribute marking the 70th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s major singles triumph, to be held inside the venue’s largest show court.

Separately, the FFT confirmed a pilot programme that will permit competitors to wear connected devices during play. Organisers said the trial is expected to be followed by Wimbledon and the US Open, as the insights these devices provide become a growing topic of discussion.