In one of the best match of the Century, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz staged a stunning comeback to retain his title at Roland‑Garros, defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a marathon five‑set thriller, 4–6, 6–7 (4), 6–4, 7–6 (3), 7–6 (10–2). This epic battle lasted an astonishing 5 hours and 32 minutes, making it the longest French Open men’s final ever and the second‑longest Grand Slam final in Open Era history.
Match overview
From the very first rally, the tone was set: both players started extremely strong and powerful, with Alcaraz immediately putting the Italian under pressure, even if the Italien had only dropped his serve 4 times throughout this entire Roland Garros. Despite facing 3 break points in that first game, Sinner held firm. After more than 12 minutes, the score was just 1–0. In the following games, both players had break opportunities. When Alcaraz finally converted one, Sinner responded immediately to level the match. At 5–4 for the world number one, it was Alcaraz who cracked, facing his fourth break point of the set. This phase of the match proved difficult for the Spaniard, who was broken early in the second set. Alcaraz managed to win just 1 game between 2–3 in the first set and 3–1 in the second. From that point, he fought tooth and nail to break Sinner’s serve and force a tiebreak. Both players looked unbeatable, but Sinner took control, breaking the Spaniard’s serve twice to earn 4 set points. He converted his chance, taking a commanding two-set-to-love lead.
The third set was scrappier but still fiercely contested, featuring 5 breaks of serve, 3 on Sinner’s side, which allowed Alcaraz to fight his way back and take the set 6–4.
The fourth set catapulted this final into the realm of the extraordinary. Neither player was willing to give an inch. Alcaraz knew he couldn’t afford to lose his serve again, but he couldn’t resist Sinner’s relentless aggression. At 3–3, Sinner made the break and then consolidated with a powerful hold to lead 5–3. And then, the unthinkable happened: Alcaraz played a very shaky service game, giving Sinner 3 championship points. One forehand too long, one overcooked return, and one netted ball, it was suffocating. Alcaraz survived.
Even more incredible, he broke the Italian’s serve in the next game to force yet another tiebreak. The crowd was electric. Alcaraz won 3 of Sinner’s service points, and despite Sinner fighting back, it was Alcaraz who forced a decisive fifth set, a match now living in a fifth dimension.
Riding that momentum, Alcaraz broke immediately and led the entire set. Sinner looked spent. Yet who could have imagined that, at 4–4 and 30–15 to the Spaniard, he would manage a drop shot and then a brilliant defensive counter-drop to earn 2 break points, converting with a stunning service return. Sinner proved he was far from finished, holding serve with a monstrous forehand down the line to lead 6–5. Alcaraz could have folded. But the resilience of both champions was unbreakable. At 6–5, 30–30, Sinner would have earned a match point against almost anyone, but not Alcaraz. A powerful return from the Italian, a desperate defensive slice from Alcaraz landing right on the line, and then a crosscourt backhand winner from the Spaniard denied Sinner a fourth championship point.
At 6–6, it all came down to a 10-point tiebreak, the first ever in a Grand Slam men’s final. After more than 5 hours, Alcaraz seized the momentum: a wrong-footing shot, a drop shot and volley, a backhand down the line. Alcaraz was unstoppable, racing to a 7–0 lead. Sinner managed to save 2 match points, but the mountain was too steep to climb. After 5 hours and 29 minutes, Sinner’s net approach shot was too short, and Alcaraz sealed his triumph with a devastating passing shot down the line. He did it again. Alcaraz: still the king of Paris.
Performance insights
Neither player led dramatically in total games (28-28), but their point differential was razor-thin, with Sinner claiming 193 points and Alcaraz 192. The margin truly shifted in the crucial moments: Alcaraz saved all 3 match points and transformed pressure into momentum, showcasing elite mental fortitude.
This final also marked Alcaraz’s fifth consecutive Grand Slam final win without a defeat, joining an exclusive club with Roger Federer. Meanwhile, Sinner, returning from a three-month doping suspension, had not dropped a set through the tournament and boasted a 20-match win streak in majors.
Player Reactions & Rivalry
After the match, Sinner reflected on his heartbreak:
“As I always said before my career started, I never would have thought to find myself in this position. [It] was not even a dream because it was so far and I was not thinking about this. Now I find myself here, playing the longest match in the history of Roland Garros in a final. It hurts, yes, but in other ways you cannot keep crying. Physically I was quite fine,” he continued. “Of course, tired. He was tired too, because it was a physical match. It was a mental match. What can you do? Now knowing the result, it is what it is. You can’t really change it. I’m still happy to be part of this match. I think it was a very, very high-level match, [it] was long, and it happens. We saw it in the past with other players, and today it happened to me. Paris for me is a very special place and I have achieved many great things here. I am still happy with this one [his trophy]. I won’t sleep great tonight but it is ok.”
Alcaraz, in turn, lauded Sinner’s performance:
“To come from two sets down against the world No. 1, the level that he was playing, it is unbelievable. It was the first time that I have come back from 2-0 down and honestly I just put my heart into it. I just tried to keep it going, not thinking about the result. I think to say it was one of the best finals in the history of the Grand Slams is really high status.”
Historical statistics
2
Carlos Alcaraz, who had already saved a match point against Jannik Sinner in the 2022 US Open quarterfinals, became only the second player in the Open Era to secure at least two Grand Slam titles after coming within a single point of defeat. The first? Novak Djokovic at the 2011 US Open and 2019 Wimbledon.
3
The number of match points Carlos Alcaraz saved in this final. In the Open Era, he is only the third player to save match points in a Grand Slam final and still come out victorious, following Gaston Gaudio at Roland Garros 2004 (saved two against Guillermo Coria) and Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon 2019 (saved two against Roger Federer). Alcaraz is also just the fourth player in French Open final history to pull off this feat, after René Lacoste in 1927 (two saved against Bill Tilden), Gottfried von Cramm in 1934 (one saved against Jack Crawford), and Gaudio in 2004.
5
On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz became only the second player in tennis history to win his first five Grand Slam finals, joining Roger Federer (who won his first seven).
8
Alcaraz became the eighth player ever to come back from two sets down to win a Roland Garros final. He joins Marcel Bernard in 1946 (vs. Jaroslav Drobny), Rod Laver in 1962 (vs. Roy Emerson), Björn Borg in 1974 (vs. Manuel Orantes), Ivan Lendl in 1984 (vs. John McEnroe), Andre Agassi in 1999 (vs. Andrei Medvedev), Gaston Gaudio in 2004 (vs. Guillermo Coria), and Novak Djokovic in 2021 (vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas).
22 years, 1 month, 3 days
Carlos Alcaraz, widely regarded as Rafael Nadal’s heir apparent, captured his fifth Grand Slam title at exactly the same age as Nadal did (22 years, 1 month, and 3 days). This makes Alcaraz the second-youngest player in history (tied with Björn Borg at 21) to reach this milestone.
5 hours 29 minutes
The match duration: an astonishing 5 hours and 29 minutes, the longest final in Roland Garros history, surpassing the 1982 battle between Mats Wilander and Guillermo Vilas (4 hours 42 minutes). It also stands as the second-longest Grand Slam final of all time, behind only the epic 2012 Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (5 hours 53 minutes).
What lies ahead
The ATP’s top stars will now move to grass as the season intensifies. In June, the men embark on a high-octane grass swing that kicks off with ATP 250 events in Stuttgart (June 9–15) and Halle (June 16–22). In Stuttgart, fans can expect to see Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Félix Auger-Aliassime, and Jiri Lehecka battling it out at the Tennis Club Weissenhof. At Halle, the Terra Wortmann Open draws a stellar ATP 500 field headlined by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, along with Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, among others. The season then moves to London’s prestigious Queen’s Club (June 16–22), hosting both the ATP and inaugural WTA 500 events, with Alcaraz, Draper, Musetti, Fritz, and Tommy Paul in contention. Finally, all eyes turn to Wimbledon (June 30–July 13), where the grass-court season culminates in thrilling Grand Slam action just weeks after the clay finale.