Paris: Carlos Alcaraz staged one of the greatest comebacks in French Open history to defeat Jannik Sinner in a five-set marathon, cementing his legacy as Rafael Nadal’s successor on the red clay of Roland Garros.
In a gripping final that lasted five hours and 29 minutes, the longest in tournament history, Alcaraz overcame three match points and a two-set deficit to clinch his second consecutive French Open title.
The 22-year-old Spaniard triumphed 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) in what is already being hailed as a French Open classic and one of the greatest finals of the Open Era.
The clash showcased the fierce rivalry between the two brightest stars of the new generation, both born in the 2000s and already reshaping the future of men’s tennis.
Alcaraz, who had never previously rallied from two sets down in a Grand Slam, showed extraordinary resilience and mental toughness. Trailing 1-4 in the second set and staring down the barrel of defeat at 3-5 in the fourth, he saved three match points before leveling the contest in a tiebreak.
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In the deciding set, the two traded breaks before Alcaraz surged ahead in the super tiebreak, winning 10-2 and collapsing on the clay in triumph. “It’s just a huge honor,” said Alcaraz, who now holds five Grand Slam titles.
The win also made him only the second man in the Open Era, after Roger Federer, to win all of his first five Grand Slam finals. He becomes the third man this century to win back-to-back Roland Garros titles, joining Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten.
Jannik Sinner, playing in his first Grand Slam since serving a three-month doping ban, had been on a 20-match winning streak at the majors and looked poised for victory after dominating the early stages of the match. He held a two-set lead and pushed Alcaraz to the brink in the fourth before narrowly falling short in the tiebreak.
“It’s difficult now, but we gave everything,” said Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion.
