Carlos Alcaraz staged an unforgettable comeback from two sets down and saved three championship points to defeat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday, securing his fifth Grand Slam title in an instant classic at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old Spaniard triumphed 4–6, 6–7 (4/7), 6–4, 7–6 (7/3), 7–6 (10/2) after five hours and 29 minutes of relentless, high-octane tennis — making it the longest men’s final in French Open history.
Down two sets and facing defeat, the reigning champion mounted his first-ever comeback from that position in a major, ending world No. 1 Sinner’s 20-match Grand Slam winning streak in the process.
With this victory, Alcaraz remains undefeated in Grand Slam finals (5–0) and becomes the third-youngest man to win five majors, behind only Björn Borg and Rafael Nadal.
A clash of the new generation
This final was the first Grand Slam title match between two men born in the 2000s — a powerful symbol of the sport’s changing guard. Yet again, Alcaraz got the better of his rival, improving his head-to-head record over Sinner to 8–5, including victories in their last five meetings.
Their Roland Garros showdown outlasted even the 1982 final, when Mats Wilander defeated Guillermo Vilas in 4 hours and 42 minutes — a record Alcaraz and Sinner smashed in a breathtaking display of endurance and skill.
Sinner’s streak ends
For Sinner, it was a heart-breaking end to what could have been a third straight Slam title. After lifting the US Open and Australian Open trophies, the Italian came within inches of completing a historic triple — only to be denied by a defiant Alcaraz.
It was also his fifth consecutive loss to Alcaraz, a growing rivalry that continues to define the next era of men’s tennis.
Earlier this year, the Spaniard also defeated Sinner in Rome — the Italian’s return to the tour following a three-month layoff due to a controversial doping suspension.
