In a display of skill and resilience, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz staged a remarkable comeback from the brink of defeat to successfully defend his French Open title, overcoming rival Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) in an exhilarating final on Sunday.
Making his first Grand Slam appearance following a three-month suspension for a doping violation, top seed Sinner held his serve in a tense opening game lasting 12 minutes with five deuces.
However, the 23-year-old was broken in the fifth game after firing a forehand wide. Despite this, Sinner fought back from 2-3 down to claim a fiercely contested opening set, capitalising on an unforced error by Alcaraz.
Applying relentless baseline pressure, Sinner secured an early break in the second set and began to tighten his grip on the match, leading 4-1 on a sunlit Court Philippe Chatrier.
Alcaraz responded aggressively, rallying to level the set at 5-5, then forcing a tiebreak. Yet Sinner edged ahead with a powerful forehand winner and secured the set, extending his lead after over two hours of play.
Facing the challenge of a two-set deficit for the first time, Alcaraz dug deep to avoid heartbreak. He pulled back a set and, having saved three match points at 3-5 in the fourth, forced a tiebreak which he won to level the match.
The final set was a high-quality contest with breaks exchanged, but Alcaraz prevailed in the super tiebreak to become only the third man this century after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten to win consecutive Roland Garros titles.
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In a scintillating duel between the new generation’s brightest stars, Alcaraz extended his dominance over Sinner with his fifth consecutive win and ended the Italian’s 20-match winning streak at Grand Slams.
“I’m truly honoured to make history with you at this tournament,” Alcaraz told Sinner after receiving the Musketeers’ Cup. “I’m certain you will be champion many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you and make history together.”
Alcaraz’s steely determination saw him through the longest Roland Garros final ever, lasting five hours and 29 minutes, as the crowd in Paris erupted in appreciation—accustomed as they are to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal’s legacy.
This victory made Alcaraz only the second man since the Open Era began in 1968 to win all five of his Grand Slam singles finals to date, joining Swiss great Roger Federer.
However, he was more enthralled by a milestone he shares with fellow Spaniard and 22-time major winner Nadal.
“Winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Nadal that feels like destiny,” Alcaraz told reporters. “It’s a statistic I will treasure forever. It’s a huge honour, and I hope this is just the beginning.”
Alcaraz and Sinner, who between them have claimed seven of the last eight Grand Slam titles, delivered a thrilling contest full of momentum swings in the first major final featuring two men born in the 2000s.
Sunday’s marathon final was the second-longest in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved match points en route to Grand Slam victory matching feats achieved by Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open and Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019.
