Alcaraz Makes Historic Comeback at French Open
Carlos Alcaraz expressed unwavering belief in his ability to recover after coming back from two sets down and saving three match points to triumph over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He secured a thrilling victory with scores of 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2), clinching his second consecutive French Open title on Sunday.
The 22-year-old faced significant adversity, trailing 5-3 and facing 0-40 on his serve in the fourth set. Nonetheless, he managed to win the match after a grueling 5 hours and 29 minutes, marking the longest men’s final in French Open history and the second-longest men’s Grand Slam final overall.
“The match isn’t over until the last point is won,” Alcaraz stated in the post-match press conference. “Many players have come back from match points in Grand Slam finals, and I wanted to be among them who saved match points and ultimately won.”
Alcaraz has now become the eighth man in the Open era to defend his Roland Garros title and is the first man to save match points to win a Grand Slam final since Novak Djokovic did so against Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2019. This victory is particularly significant for Alcaraz, as it marks his first comeback from two sets down in nine attempts, making him 5-0 in Grand Slam finals while extending his head-to-head lead over Sinner to 8-4.
The match seemed to favor Sinner early on, as he took the first two sets and broke Alcaraz early in the third. However, with the support of a star-studded crowd, including actor Dustin Hoffman and director Spike Lee, Alcaraz fought back to claim the third set. Despite facing three match points in the fourth, he managed to pull through in the tiebreak, ultimately securing victory in the fifth set.
“In difficult situations, you must continue to fight,” Alcaraz remarked. “This is a Grand Slam final—there’s no time to feel exhausted or give up. It’s essential to find your rhythm again and push forward.”
Alcaraz shares the same age—22 years and 1 month—with his idol Rafael Nadal when Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title. Following the match, Nadal and other tennis legends congratulated Alcaraz on social media. Alcaraz described this coincidence as “destiny,” expressing hope that this achievement would propel him further in his career.
