Whatever court Darwin Blanch is put on at the 2023 Roland Garros Junior Championships week, there will be a crowd. The lefty’s spectacular game has gained a serious amount of fans around the grounds in Paris and it continued to bring him luck on Thursday.

The 15-year-old reached his first junior Grand Slam semi-final after beating his doubles partner and No. 9 seed Cooper Williams 7-6(5) 2-6 6-3 in a thrilling battle.

“It feels unbelievable," said Blanch. "Making the semi-finals at a Grand Slam is unreal. Obviously, I’m playing great so I’m really happy. Honestly, it feels great to see this crowd cheering for me. I didn’t expect the people to like me this much or shout my name. It got pretty crazy out there!”

So crazy that he now stands two wins away from the title. He’s not sure he’d have believed it before the tournament but now he’s ready for it.

“I know my level so I’d have said reaching the semi-finals was possible but I would have still doubted it a bit. But honestly, now I believe it.”

He will have to believe in his next match against impressive Croatian Dino Prizmic, already ranked No. 293 on the ATP Tour and who displayed aggressive, solid tennis on Thursday against Henry Searle in a 7-6(3) 6-3 triumph.

Blanch understands what is required for him to stand a chance in the match.

“I’ve been serving really well since the start of the tournament, especially in the important moments when the other guy has a breakpoint or when it’s deuce points. That has helped me a lot," he identified. "I’ve also been hitting my forehand really well, and I’ve hit my backhand a lot better so this helped.”

“I just listen to my coaches, go and work the hardest," the young American added. "If you work the hardest and have the right people around you, you improve the most.”

Having Juan Carlos Ferrero in the stands for his matches is also one of Blanch’s advantages. The coach of Carlos Alcaraz is no doubt proud of Blanch - a student at his academy.

“He came to watch my last matches and helped me during the match so it’s great," he said. "I’m getting better on clay, maybe as good as on hard court.”

Juan Carlos Prado Angelo, an 18-year-old from Bolivia, is the clay specialist. He showed again in the quarter-finals how well he has mastered the surface, defeating Joel Schwaerzler 7-5 6-3.

He has the depth, the spin, the down-the-line shots, and the long-rallies figured out. To beat him, his opponents have to be relentless. And Prado Angelo knows it.

“I’ve always played on clay, I grew up on it, it’s my favorite surface. I’m so happy to be here," he said.

Winner at the J300 in Santa Cruz, and a semi-finalist at the J500 in Criciuma, he doesn’t lack experience or confidence at this level.

“I’m very happy, it’s my first semi-final at a junior Grand Slam," said Prado Angelo. "I think I’m playing really well and have chances to advance even more.”

Prado Angelo, who's tennis idol is Roger Federer, is the first person in his family to play tennis and it’s a change of scenery that is responsible for his passion for the game.

“Nobody in my family played tennis, but we moved to a private club where there are courts so I started to play like that. Then I started to play well and move to the academy I’m still at now in Santa Cruz. So I can stay at home.”

He is relishing every minute of his time at Roland Garros, because it’s been a dream to compete here for a very long time.

“I was always watching Roland Garros as a kid," he reflected. "I remember Rafa winning every year almost! Playing here is a good motivation for the Juniors because you can also see the professionals and how they train.

"I’ve played many professional tournaments and I don’t think the level is that much different, it’s more about the mentality.”

He will now face Learner Tien for a spot in the final and this match could be a blockbuster between the speed of Tien’s left arm and the resilience of the Bolivian.