In a captivating French Open final that will be remembered for years to come, Carlos Alcaraz staged an incredible comeback to defeat Jannik Sinner in five sets. The Spaniard, showing remarkable resilience, saved three championship points en route to securing his fifth Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz, the defending champion, found himself down two sets against the world number one Sinner, but battled back to win 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) in a grueling match that lasted five hours and 29 minutes.
“This was the most exciting match that I’ve played so far without a doubt,” Alcaraz said, acknowledging the epic nature of the encounter. “I think the match had everything.”
The victory marked Alcaraz’s first-ever comeback from two sets down and ended Sinner’s impressive 20-match winning streak at major tournaments. Alcaraz is now a perfect 5-0 in Grand Slam finals. He emphasized the importance of self-belief, stating, “Today was all about believing in myself. Never doubted myself today and I tried to go for it… Real champions are made in those situations.”
Alcaraz becomes the first player to win a Grand Slam final after saving a match point since Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019.
Sinner, visibly heartbroken, admitted, “It’s easier to play than talking now. I won’t sleep very well tonight but it’s OK. We try to delete it somehow and take the positive and keep going. There are no other ways… It hurts, but you cannot keep crying.” He missed out on what would have been his third consecutive Grand Slam title, following his US Open win last year and Australian Open triumph earlier this year.
This marked Sinner’s fifth consecutive loss to Alcaraz, and their first meeting in a Grand Slam final. It was also a historic match, being the first major championship match between two players born in the 2000s. Alcaraz now leads their head-to-head record 8-4, including a victory over Sinner in the Rome final, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month break.
The match was a rollercoaster from the start. Alcaraz initially pressured Sinner, creating break point opportunities, but the Italian held firm. Alcaraz eventually broke to lead 3-2 in the first set, only to immediately surrender the lead back. A late break for Sinner sealed the first set. Sinner then surged to a 3-0 lead in the second set, tightening his serve. Alcaraz clawed back a break, adding some swagger into the contest, but Sinner stayed composed to win the tiebreak.
Alcaraz responded by breaking Sinner to start the third set. But the Spaniard dug in, winning four straight games to lead 4-1, and took the third set. With Sinner seemingly closing in on victory after breaking to lead 3-3 in the fourth, Alcaraz demonstrated his champion mentality. He saved three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner’s serve to force a tie-break, which he won emphatically.
In the deciding set, Alcaraz initially broke Sinner and pulled ahead. Sinner mounted a comeback, breaking back while trailing 5-3. It was Alcaraz who eventually prevailed in the final 10-point tie-break, securing his victory with a forehand winner.
