The longest men’s singles Roland-Garros final in history sees defending champion Carlos Alcaraz retain his title by prevailing over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a marathon five-set championship match on Sunday in Paris.
World number two Carlos Alcaraz claims his second consecutive Roland-Garros crown, a fifth Grand Slam title, by prevailing over top seed Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) in five hours and 29 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday evening in Paris.
During the trophy ceremony, he dedicated a few words to his adversary: “It’s a privilege to share the court with you, in every tournament, making history with you.”
La Coupe des Mousquetaires stays with the Spaniard, who emerged victorious after a championship match for the ages, standing tall to write his name in the history books.
His first meeting in a major final against the Italian player became the longest ever at the French Open in the Open era.
The top two players in the ATP Rankings pushed one another to the limit, mentally and physically, as they battled throughout a world-class tennis showpiece, gracing the emblematic Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“Congrats, Carlos, amazing performance, amazing battle. I’m very happy for you, and you deserve it,” Sinner outlined. “We tried our best today; we gave everything we had. I won’t sleep very well tonight, but it’s okay.”
Their 12th meeting on tour unfolded into a grueling final that kept a sell-out 15,000 crowd on the edge of their seats and the spectators who watched it on TV guessing until the very last ball, as such was the parity between them.
The first set saw the players going toe-to-toe, rallying from the onset through an intense physical battle that escalated within challenging serving games.
After 10 grueling games, Sinner converted a double break as Alcaraz hit a backhand wide, closing out the opener 6-4 in 63 minutes.
The 23-year-old showcased his exceptional court coverage while staying solid behind his serve, playing with heavy topspin.
A 12-minute opening game set the tone for what was yet to come. Serving under pressure, the world No. 1 held his nerve to save three break points, consolidating a 1-0 lead.
Easily generating power on his forehand, the Spaniard played with aggression, converting the first break in the fifth game to lead 3-2.
From there, the Italian put in motion a consistent recovery, finding his best tennis toward the final stages of the set, breaking straight back as his deep return led his opponent to commit three unforced errors.
Following a hold to love, the San Candido native moved forward 4-3, recovering lost ground, and never looked back.
Courtside, he quickly received treatment for a blister on his right foot.
As play resumed, he stayed flawless on serve, making good use of his precious skill set to move forward.
With the wind in his sails, the three-time Grand Slam winner made a dominant start to the second set, damaging his adversary with his clinical backhand to take control of the big points, opening a 3-0 advantage.
Moreover, he cruised into a 4-1 lead, making the difference with his performance on the return down the middle of the court, denying the world number two the angles.
However, the reigning champion fought back, breaking his rival when he was serving for the set 5-3.
He put to good use his ferocious ball-striking, unleashing an outrageous down-the-line forehand, forcing Rome runner-up into an error.
A 4-5 deficit vanished when he leveled the tie 5-5, sending the crowd into a frenzy; the quality of their shotmaking generated jaw-dropping moments and standing ovations.
Having restored the parity in the match, the second seed forced a second-set tiebreaker that Italy No. 1 sealed with an ace 7-4.
Then, they traded early breaks to kickstart a third-set stunner, and Alcaraz did not take long to take the driver’s seat.
The 19-time ATP titlist found his groove, racing to win four games in a row - double break in the fourth game - storming into a 4-1 lead, courtesy of his ripping forehands and powerful serve.
Meanwhile, the two-time Australian Open champion dropped a level, which translates into the numbers.
At this point, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil was making fewer errors, 9 to Sinner’s 11. Also, hitting more winners, 14 to just seven from the other side of the net.
When he was serving for the set, Sinner rallied in a staggering effort that paid dividends, breaking to narrow the gap 4-5.
Nonetheless, the Murcia-born reacted fast, breaking straight back to pocket his first set in the final 6-4, keeping his opponent off balance while in contention for the title.
A tense atmosphere became noticeable as the match was heading into a fourth set, and so did the physical toll it took on the players after three and a half hours. But the end was too far away.
Perfect behind his service, Sinner pushed forward, showcasing his relentless hitting to convert the break in the seventh game, pulling ahead 4-3 and quickly extending his advantage to 5-3.
A dramatic ninth game saw Alcaraz’s fighting spirit pose a late challenge, coming back from 3-5, 0-40 on serve to fend off three match points, staying the course.
When the 2024 US Open champion served for the title, the young Spanish talent surged to convert the break and level up the fourth set 5-5, holding to love, shifting momentum 6-5 up.
The small margins that separated the players led to a breathtaking fourth-set tiebreak that the two-time Wimbledon winner remarkably won 7-3, heading into a decider.
Building upon momentum, the relentless title defender broke serve to open proceedings, consolidating a 2-0 advantage.
Sinner’s foot speed was not the same at this point, and neither was his energy, hampered after nearly five hours of play.
Regardless, he held tight at 2-3 in the fifth set, striking a booming serve at 209 km/h.
For his part, Alcaraz remained in front, but at 5-4, he failed to serve out the match.
Defying the odds, Sinner broke the Monte-Carlo winner in the 10th game and set the level after five hours and five minutes.
Following a nail-biting 11th game, Sinner held his ground, firing two aces in the process, and so did his opponent.
As a result, they marched into a final tiebreak dominated by the Spaniard, who shut the door to retain his title with authority, rallying from two sets down for the first time in his young career.
He finished with 70 winners against 73 unforced errors, compared to Sinner’s 53 and 64, respectively.
The best two players in the world gave us a glimpse of tennis’s bright future, already a memorable present.
En route to the championship match, Sinner defeated 3-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3), making it through his third consecutive Slam final, his fourth overall.
Alcaraz defeated eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 ret. to reach back-to-back Roland-Garros finals, becoming the second Spaniard to achieve five major men’s singles finals following Rafael Nadal (30).
“Carlitos” is the third youngest man in history to win five singles Slams after Bjorn Borg (21) and Nadal (22).
