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Carlos Alcaraz staged a remarkable comeback from two sets down, saving three championship points to defeat Jannik Sinner in a thrilling French Open final on Sunday.
The reigning champion Alcaraz overcame world number one Sinner with scores of 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to secure his fifth Grand Slam title after a grueling five hours and 29 minutes.
The 22-year-old Spaniard remains undefeated in five Grand Slam finals, ending Sinner’s 20-match winning streak at the majors.
Alcaraz achieved his first comeback from two sets down, stunning Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history, surpassing the previous record set in 1982 when Mats Wilander won in four sets against Guillermo Vilas in a duration of 4 hours and 42 minutes.
Alcaraz is now the third youngest man to win five Grand Slam titles, following Bjorn Borg and fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, after an incredible battle between two stars from a new generation.
Sinner narrowly missed out on his third consecutive Grand Slam title after winning the US Open last year and clinching back-to-back Australian Open victories.
He faced his fifth consecutive loss against Alcaraz, marking their inaugural meeting in a Grand Slam final making it the first championship match at a major featuring two players born in the 2000s.
Alcaraz holds an 8-5 advantage over Sinner, having also defeated him in Rome, where Sinner returned to competition in May following a three-month doping ban.
Alcaraz applied pressure on Sinner by creating three break points at the start of Saturday’s final, but the Italian held firm and soon found himself with break points of his own, although he was unable to capitalize. After fending off two more break points at 1-1, Sinner produced crucial serves to hold on.
Alcaraz’s persistence finally bore fruit in the fifth game when he broke to go 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to relinquish the lead immediately.
Sinner, unyielding, threatened to break again at 4-3, capitalizing on a brief lapse from Alcaraz to claim the first set.
Sinner surged in the second set, quickly racing to a 3-0 lead. Following seven break points faced in the opening set, he tightened his serve.
However, Alcaraz managed to craft a break point with Sinner serving for a two-set advantage and seized that opportunity to halt Sinner’s momentum.
Regaining his confidence, Alcaraz attempted to engage the crowd, but Sinner remained composed in the tie-break.
The first five points followed serve, but Sinner then executed a forehand down the line, and after Alcaraz's attempted drop-shot sailed wide, Sinner capitalized on a misplayed return, earning four set points. Alcaraz saved two of those, but Sinner hit a fierce cross-court forehand to take a commanding two-set lead.
While Sinner broke Alcaraz to start the third set, Alcaraz fought back, winning four consecutive games to establish a 4-1 lead. Although Sinner broke back at 5-3, Alcaraz responded with a break to love, pushing the match into a fourth set and drawing cheers from the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd, thus ending Sinner’s streak of 31 consecutive sets won in Grand Slam events.
Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amidst several holds as Sinner tightened his grip.
Just as Sinner seemed poised for victory after breaking to lead 3-3, Alcaraz made an astonishing recovery, saving three championship points while trailing 3-5, before breaking Sinner’s serve when he attempted to close out the title.
Alcaraz, energized by successive aces, surged into the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set.
With Sinner struggling, he lost his serve early, and even though Alcaraz faced two break points at 3-1, a twist occurred as he faltered while on the brink of victory, allowing Sinner to break back at 3-5, igniting a three-game sequence that required Alcaraz to hold serve to keep the match alive.
He maintained his composure, setting up a 10-point tie-break, which he dominated, sealing his victory with a brilliant forehand down the line.
