What an incredible final, an amazing comeback, and a truly fantastic sports rivalry this is!
Carlos Alcaraz faced the brink of defeat three times, being just a point away from losing the French Open title to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Yet, three times, in a thrilling and defiant display, he somehow managed to survive in this captivating match.
To the immense pleasure of most of the affluent Roland Garros spectators, who certainly got their money`s worth, the Spaniard ultimately secured his reign as the King of Clay in a memorable, historic fifth-set tie-break.
After over five hours and five sets of compelling tennis, Alcaraz sank to his knees, tears streaming, having achieved something he`d never done in his eight previous attempts: winning a match after being two sets down.
No male player before him on Court Philippe-Chatrier had ever faced three championship points and gone on to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires hours later.
The 22-year-old`s victory with a score of 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2) earned him £2.1 million in prize money and his fifth major trophy, a milestone only Bjorn Borg and Rafa Nadal reached at a younger age.
Lasting five hours and 29 minutes, this final set a record for the longest in tournament history and the second longest in the Open Era. Alcaraz also became only the third man this century to successfully defend the French Open title.
Winning on his favored clay surface, this title will be remembered as his most hard-fought Grand Slam victory.
It was a thrilling, nail-biting contest, arguably the best match yet in a Generation Z rivalry poised to shape men`s tennis for the coming 10-15 years.
This match ranks among the greatest ever witnessed in tennis history. It was utterly exhausting just to watch.
One could also sympathize with the parents, who had to helplessly witness their sons battling it out so intensely.
Sinner, who reportedly drank pickle juice to prevent cramping in the fifth set, suffered his first major tournament loss since the 2024 Wimbledon quarter-finals.
The current US Open and Australian Open champion`s 20-match winning streak at Grand Slams was snapped, marking another loss in a match exceeding four hours.
This final occurred just thirty-four days after Sinner returned to the sport after serving a controversial doping ban.
He had only resumed full-time competition on May 5th, following a three-month suspension for failing two doping tests in March 2024 in the United States.
A surprising agreement was reached with the World Anti-Doping Agency before his scheduled appearance at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, though the settlement continues to provoke anger and controversy.
An independent panel had cleared Sinner, 23, of intentional wrongdoing after he tested positive for the banned substance clostebol, which he maintained entered his body through massages from his physiotherapist.
This grand final likely marks the first of many instances where Sinner and Alcaraz, both still under 24, will compete for a Grand Slam title.
Their rivalry is set to define the sport`s next era – between them, they now hold all four Grand Slam titles. This match was also the first men`s major final contested by two players born in the 2000s, signaling that the future of tennis has arrived.
Their head-to-head record is built on a foundation of sportsmanship and mutual respect. Notably, there were several occasions when one player quickly conceded a point even if the officials had called the shot out.
Neither competitor yielded much ground in a lengthy opening set that lasted 65 minutes. The very first game, where Jannik held serve, took a remarkable 12 minutes.
Alcaraz was the clear crowd favorite. Although Sinner effectively countered his powerful forehand in the second set, Alcaraz never lost faith in his ability to mount a comeback.
Before this match, Sinner hadn`t dropped a set at a major since the fourth round of the Australian Open (where Holger Rune took one). His impressive streak of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams was finally broken in the third set.
The ninth game of the fourth set will haunt Sinner; he held three match points on Alcaraz`s serve but couldn`t convert any against the resilient Spaniard.
The tall Italian player was clearly pushed to his physical limits and showed signs of fatigue, notably by not chasing some drop shots.
Commendably, Sinner stayed competitive in the deciding set, breaking back when trailing 5-4. However, Alcaraz`s superior physical condition ultimately proved decisive as he dominated the first-ever championship tie-break in the tournament.
Just meters away from the permanent plaque displaying Rafa Nadal`s footprint, the young Spanish superstar was crowned clay champion, achieving this remarkable feat 90 minutes after saving those three match points.
Fittingly, the trophy was presented by former champion Andre Agassi, who also famously came back from two sets down to defeat Andrei Medvedev in the 1999 final.
