Alcaraz Claims Fifth Grand Slam Title in Thrilling French Open Final

PARIS: In a captivating showdown at Philippe-Chatrier, Carlos Alcaraz showcased remarkable resilience, overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Jannik Sinner with a final score of 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) and seize the French Open title.

This triumph marks Alcaraz’s fifth consecutive victory against Sinner, putting an end to the Italian player’s impressive 20-match winning streak in major tournaments.

Sinner, the top-seeded player, suffered a service break in the fifth game but rallied from a 2-3 disadvantage to secure the initial set.

Alcaraz managed to level the score after ten games and forced a tiebreak after trailing 1-4 in the second set; however, Sinner demonstrated his skill and doubled his advantage after two hours of play.

Alcaraz, who had never previously recovered from a two-set disadvantage, staged a comeback by winning the third set and then battling back from a 5-3 deficit in the fourth set.

In a thrilling and closely contested final set, Alcaraz emerged victorious in the super tiebreak, thereby becoming only the third player this century, alongside Rafael Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, to secure consecutive Roland Garros titles.

The Spaniard’s recent victory marks his fifth Grand Slam title in a competition that spanned an extensive five hours and 29 minutes. This final stands as the longest in Roland Garros history and the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era. Notably, it is also only the third instance since 1968 where a player has saved a match point en route to winning a major final.

Following his victory and the presentation of the Musketeers’ Cup, Alcaraz expressed his admiration for his rivalry with Sinner.

“I’m just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament,” Alcaraz commented.

He further added, “I’m sure you’re going to be champion not once, but many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.”

Alcaraz now holds the distinction of being only the second player since the dawn of professional tennis in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals, joining the legendary Roger Federer.