Photo credit: Mustafa Yalcin-Anadolu-Getty
Mastering majors demands calm when volatility comes.
Then there’s Carlos Alcaraz, who is most alive dancing on the ledge of loss
Hazardous tremors struck when Alcaraz faced three championship points down 3-5 in the fourth set of today’s French Open final.
Rocking the red clay with fearless drives, Alcaraz fought off three championship points, battled back from a two-set deficit for the first time in his life and out-dueled world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to successfully defend his Roland Garros title in a dazzling and epic final.
The longest French Open final in history was a five hour, 29-minute thrill ride that will go down as a match for the ages.
The fierce final popped with dizzying flashes of shotmaking, massive momentum shifts and saw both champions serve for the title.
The top-seeded Sinner served for the championship at 5-4 in the fourth set.
The second-seeded Alcaraz served for it at 5-4 in the fifth set only to see his red-haired rival break back.
In the end, a dynamic Alcaraz elevated next-level tennis to stratospheric heights in the fifth-set tiebreaker.
The second-seeded Alcaraz ripped a running forehand strike down the line to end it—an hour and 45 minutes after saving championship points—then crashed to the clay in elation, capping the greatest comeback in Roland Garros final history.
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It is Alcaraz’s his fifth Grand Slam championship—he’s now 5-0 in major finals—while Sinner suffered his first major final loss in a match he could have won falling to 3-1 in Slam finals.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz is the third-youngest man to hold five major titles behind only legendary Bjorn Borg and his doubles partner the retired king of clay Rafael Nadal.
Afterward, Alcaraz attributed this remarkable Roland Garros rally to a two-word mantra: Don’t Quit.
“Honestly, I don’t know what happened: he had 5-3 in the fourth [set] love-40 I didn’t think about anything,” Alcaraz told TNT’s John McEnroe afterward. “I just [played] point after point putting my heart into it and giving my all energy into it.
“I tried not to give up we were in the final of the Grand Slam. It wasn’t the time to give up. I just tried to fight until the last point. I knew the 5-4 wasn’t easy—it’s even tougher when you have three match points and you couldn’t make it.
“ I just tried to put my heart into it and just go point after point. I hope the people enjoy it as well it was a great match to enjoy.”
It was a clash of the artist vs. annihilator and for two two-and-a-half sets, Sinner pierced the clay with punishing strikes putting himself one point away from his maiden Roland Garros crown—and third consecutive major title.
A defiant Alcaraz dug in and unleashed the greatest comeback in Roland Garros men’s final history.
The 21-year-old Spaniard is the first man in history to save three championship points in a Roland Garros final and win. Alcaraz is the first man to save championship points and take the title since Gaston Gaudio saved two championship points edging compatriot Guillermo Coria in an all-Argentinean 2004 final with trophy presented by Argentinean legend Guillermo Vilas.
The world No. 2 is second to none in toughness and stamina: Alcaraz is now 13-1 lifetime in five-setters, including 4-0 in five-setters in Paris. Sinner, who lacked some match fitness playing his third tournament after a three-month suspension, dropped to 6-10 in five-setters.
A gutted Sinner showed pure class in the aftermath of a heart-wrencing loss that left his mom on the verge of tears at time because the tension was so intense.
“Tough to say now of course I’m happy to deliver this kind of level, happy but obviously this one hurts,” Sinner said. “It’s tough to talk right now, but I’m happy how we are trying to improve every day and put myself in these kind of positions. It was a high level match for sure, but the final result hurts.”
If you missed this match, three things you should know before we go any further:
*This is the longest championship match in Roland Garro history clocking in at a pulsating 5 hours, 29 minutes.
*It’s the second-longest Grand Slam final in history trailing only the 5 hour, 53-minute marathon that saw Novak Djokovic edge Rafael Nadal in the 2012 AO Final.
*Magic Man Alcaraz saved three championship points from love-40 down serving at 3-5 in the fourth set.
*Alcaraz beat Sinner for the fifth time in a row for an 8-4 lead in their riveting rivalry.
*Sinner won one more point (193 to 192) than Alcaraz in this final and is 47-3 in his last 50 matches. All three losses are to Alcaraz.
*Minds were blown all over the world by the outrageous level and stirring spirit these two displayed.
You cannot compare this match with other matches, I believe," Sinner said. "Physically I was quite fine. Of course, tired. He was tired too, you know, because it was physical match. It was mental match. What can you do? You know, now knowing the result, it is what it is, you know? You can't really change it.
"I'm still happy to be part of this match. You know, I think it was a very, very high-level match, was long. Yeah, and it happens. You know, we saw it in the past with other players, and today it happened to me. So we try to delete it somehow and take the positive and keep going. There are no other ways."
After Sinner held for a 5-4 first-set lead, Alcaraz took a medical timeout for an apparent piece of clay blown into his right eye. The trainer work on the right eye and when Alcaraz returned to play he lost focus.
Though the Spaniard hit a strong wide serve, an elastic Sinner hit a solid stretched backhand return. Alcaraz missed a crosscourt backhand and just like that, Sinner snatched a one-set lead after 64 minutes.
It was Sinner’s 19th consecutive set in Paris and 30th straight set won in a Slam.
Despite the fact Alcaraz amassed seven break points to four for Sinner, hit more winners—eight to seven—and held the early 3-2 break lead in the opener, he found himself staring down a one-set deficit.
Tugging on the brim of his blue baseball cap, Sinner operated like a Tennis Terminator exterminating points with damaging drives that dislodged clumps of clay at times. Alcaraz framed a forehand then lashed a leaping forehand long as Sinner scored first-break blood in the second set for 2-0.
Serving for a two-set lead at 5-3, Sinner ran into a barrage of buzzsaw returns from Alcaraz, who earned his first break point since the fifth game of the match.
French fans were chanting “Carlos! Carlos!” Alcaraz answered the call with a crackling forehand to break back.
In the tiebreaker, proactive positioning and whiplash strikes helped Sinner take charge.
Straddling the baseline, Sinner slid a forehand strike down the line for the mini break and a 4-2 lead.
Backpedalling, Alcaraz tried the forehand drop shot, but shoveled it wide then compounded his deficit putting a backhand into the middle of the net as Sinner seized set points at 6-2.
Though the champion saved two set points, including an electric running forehand pass to close to 4-6 it wasn’t enough. Sinner slammed a crackling crosscourt forehand to close it then danced to his seat with a two-set lead—his 20th straight Roland Garros set and 31st consecutive Slam set won.
Confronting a two-set deficit, Alcaraz carried an ignominious 0-8 record when dropping the first two sets in a Slam.
Winning a pulsating 22-shot rally when Sinner slapped a shot into net, Alcaraz put a finger behind his ear exhorting roaring fans to make more noise as he broke for a 3-1 third-set lead.
The top seed broke when Alcaraz served for the set.
Shrugging it off, the 22-year-old Spaniard sent a flashy forehand down the line for triple set point in the 10th game.
Attacking behind another forehand, Alcaraz created a wide expanse of open court and knocked off a high forehand volley to force a fourth set after three hours, three minutes—and snap Sinner’s streaks of 20 straight Roland Garros sets.
Pausing to soak in the roaring support from the 16,000 faithful, Alcaraz put a finger to his ear followed by a clenched fist high in the air looking eager to continue this fight.
Midway through the fourth, Sinner made his move.
Freezing the champion with his first drop-shot winner of the day, Sinner bulleted a backhand forcing a framed forehand reply for triple break point in the seventh game.
Feeling the scoreboard stress, Alcaraz, who could not buy a first serve in the game, went all in on a backhand down the line and missed it wide. Streaking through eight straight points, Sinner led 4-3—two holds from his first French Open title.
The Coupe des Mousquetaires was staring Sinner right in the face as he earned triple championship point on Alcaraz’s serve in the ninth game. A rock concert crowd crescendo created a wall of sound.
Back to the wall, Alcaraz tore the place apart with fearless strikes—and help from an increasingly skittish Sinner.
Sinner missed a drive deep on the first championship point.
On championship point two, Sinner stepped in, attacked a second serve, but sailed a backhand well beyond the baseline.
The top seed’s best shot came on championship point No. 3 when Sinner belted a deep return that backed up Alcaraz, who did well to dig out a reply. Sinner had a look at a forehand but couldn’t finish then hit the tape with a jittery forehand.
Dangling on the ledge of loss seemed to free up Alcaraz to fire away and he did. Alcaraz slammed an ace wide, thundered a forehand winner and held for 4-5 as fans erupted chanting his name.
A rattled Sinner missed a running forehand and couldn’t track a drop volley to face double break point in the 10th game. Alcaraz scorched a forehand to break back for 5-all on a run of 10 of 11 points.
After that great escape to force a fifth set, fans were chanting his name and Alcaraz stopped, stood in front of his court-side seat and pumped his clenched fists in the air like Rocky Balboa on the top step of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That move generated a louder roar while the sound system blared the “good times never seemed so good” from Sweet Caroline.
How would the world No. 1 respond to that traumatic turn of events?
Playing just his third event of the season after serving a three-month suspension to settle a doping case, Sinner was in uncharted territory facing an elite finisher.
Empowered by a 12-1 career record in five-setters, Alcaraz has Sinner right where he wanted him: In a fifth set, before 16,000 frenzied fans pushing past a physical four hours of punishing play.
Testing the lanky Italian’s movement, Alcaraz dipped a devious drop shot that Sinner could not control forcing the finesse break to start the decider up 1-0.
Working his box and the crowd, Alcaraz stamped a strong hold at 15 backing up the break for 2-0.
Linescrew and chair umpire missed an Alcaraz serve that landed long as he held for 4-2. That non-call fired up Sinner, who channeled action into anger beating up the ball in holding for 3-4.
When the champion served for the title at 5-4, he tried the drop shot. A streaking Sinner caught up to it and scraped immaculate retrieval that dribbled over for two break points. Booming a big backhand, Sinner broke back at 5-all after five hours and five minutes of frenzied action.
Serving at 5-6 30-all, Alcaraz pulled off a full-stretch forehand squash get to extend a point and save the title.
An audacious Alcaraz sharp-angled backhand pass sealed his hold to force a fitting fifth-set tiebreaker after five hours, 19 minutes.
Magic man Alcaraz elevated in this great escape and turned tiebreaker to heartbreaker for the Italian.
Bouncing off the terre battue as if it were a trampoline, Alcaraz elevated this climax to a pulsating level.
In a barrage of brilliance, an inspired Alcaraz burst out to a 7-0 tiebreaker leader highlight by a drop shot and leaping forehand volley winner. Alcaraz won 11 of 12 points in that spectacular stretch before Sinner stung a serve winner down the T.
Hall of Famer and former French Open champion calls Alcaraz and Sinner “The New Two” following the Big 3.
Today, the pair collaborated on a final for the ages continue to split the Slam spoils: Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to claim the last six Grand Slam titles.
Today's glorious dirt war comes exactly a year and a day after Alcaraz rallied to beat Sinner in a marathon five-setter in the 2024 RG semifinals.
Unleashing all-court attack, Alcaraz fought into his maiden Roland Garros final last June with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 conquest of Sinner that spanned four hours, nine minutes.
The world's best player and world's most entertaining player bring out the best in each other and in the sport.
Roland Garros bid an emotional adieu to King of Clay Rafa Nadal to start the tournament, somewhere the king is likely smile by what we witnessed tonight.
Two rivals taking tennis to brilliant, brutal and beautiful places—and doing it with pure class and sportsmanship—if you’re like me it all left you buzzed and breathless. Long may their rivalry rule.