Carlos Alcaraz has once again proven his mettle on the clay courts, defeating Jannik Sinner in an epic showdown to defend his French Open title. In a match that lasted a record-breaking five hours and 29 minutes—the longest-ever French Open final in the Open Era—Alcaraz rallied from two sets down to secure his victory.
Known for slow starts in Grand Slam finals, the 22-year-old Spaniard demonstrated resilience and determination, overcoming adversity to clinch his second consecutive French Open title. Alcaraz had previously trailed 2-1 in sets to Alexander Zverev in last year’s final and came from behind to claim a third major title with a five-set win against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.
“When the situations are against you, then you have to keep fighting. It’s a Grand Slam final; it’s no time to be tired, no time to give up,” Alcaraz said after the match. “Do I enjoy that? The real champions are made in those situations.”
In producing one of the greatest comebacks in French Open history on Sunday, Alcaraz emulated Novak Djokovic’s 2021 feat at Roland-Garros, where the now 24-time major winner rallied from two sets down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“Today it was all about the belief in myself,” Alcaraz said. He became just the ninth player in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam final after trailing by two sets, joining legends like Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and now Sinner.
It was the first time that 23-year-old Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final and the fifth consecutive match in which he has fallen to Alcaraz, who clinched the 20th title of his career.
The match reached its peak when Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 in the fifth set. Sinner made a stunning retrieval from an exceptional Alcaraz drop shot, gliding the ball over the net just out of Alcaraz’s reach to level the game at 5-5.
When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, the crowd erupted. He was two points away from victory in the 12th game, with Alcaraz serving at 15-30 and deuce. However, Alcaraz pulled off a staggering cross-court backhand to force a tiebreaker.
The atmosphere was electric as the crowd cheered wildly when Alcaraz’s cross-court winner made it 4-0 in the tiebreak. Alcaraz won the match with a superb forehand pass down the line, collapsing onto his back in celebration before rushing to embrace his team.
“Just amazing the support you have given me today,” Alcaraz told the ecstatic crowd. “During the whole tournament.”
“I’m very happy for you, and you deserve it, so congrats,” Sinner graciously told Alcaraz during the trophy ceremony. “It’s an amazing trophy, so I won’t sleep tonight very well, but it’s okay.”
In other action, Olympic gold medalists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won the women’s doubles title for the first time. The second-seeded Italian duo, runners-up at Roland-Garros last year, defeated Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.
It was Errani’s second French Open doubles title and her sixth at a major tournament. The 38-year-old previously formed a highly successful partnership with Roberta Vinci, winning trophies at all four Grand Slam events.
“It’s tennis; we never stop, every day,” Errani said. “You just try to be focused every day, and maybe you are not enjoying 100 percent what is happening because you cannot stop and feel it. But right now, I feel it, and I am trying to realize what we are doing is so big. Winning a Grand Slam is the best thing in the world.”
No other Italians had won the women’s doubles at Roland-Garros since Errani teamed with Vinci in 2012. Errani claimed two titles in Paris this year, also winning the mixed doubles title with Andrea Vavassori.
