Carlos Alcaraz pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Grand Slam history to defend his French Open title in a final for the ages.
Down two sets and facing three championship points, the 22-year-old Spaniard clawed his way back to defeat world number one Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) after five hours and 29 minutes of brutal, beautiful tennis on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Although Sinner looked set to clinch his first Roland Garros crown when he led 5-3 in the fourth, Alcaraz refused to yield. The defending champion shower resilience and nerve in the high-pressure moments. He eventually flipped the momentum in a contest that will live long in tennis history.
A rivalry worthy of the hype
Coming into the match, expectations were sky-high for the first Grand Slam final between the ATP’s top two stars.
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Both Alcaraz and Sinner displayed breathtaking shot-making and supreme tactical awareness. Their boundless energy kept the crowd of 15,000 on their feet throughout.
As the fifth set reached its climax, the quality never dipped. Alcaraz took control in the match tie-break, sprinting to a lead before sealing victory with a blistering forehand winner. His celebration was equally emotional – he collapsed to the clay before running to embrace his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and his family in the stands.
Notably, Alcaraz had never previously recovered from a two-set deficit in his career. He now becomes the first man since Novak Djokovic in 2019 to win a Slam after saving match points.
For Sinner, the loss ended his bid for a third straight Grand Slam title, though he remained gracious in defeat. “I won’t sleep well tonight,” he admitted, “but I’m still proud.”
Tags: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, #RolandGarros, French Open final, Court Philippe Chatrier.
