Epic Alcaraz comeback seals amazing French Open triumph
Carlos Alcaraz has come back from the dead in one of the greatest of all grand slam finals, saving three match points in the fourth set before rallying to outlast Jannik Sinner and successfully defend his French Open crown.
After the longest and perhaps most epic of all Roland Garros showdowns - lasting five hours and 29 minutes - champion Alcaraz prevailed 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 [10-2] against world No.1 Sinner to win his fifth grand slam in a true Sunday spectacular.
There seemed no way back for the 22-year-old Spaniard when he trailed 3-5, 0-40 in the fourth set with Sinner poised to win his third slam in a row after wins in the US Open and Australian Open.
WHAT A MATCH POINT 💥#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ocjYQIVUlt
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
But summoning up incredible resolve as well as extraordinary brilliance, Alcaraz, on his way to winning from two sets down for the first time in his stellar career, surged back to take the fourth set and then forge into a 5-3 lead in the decider.
But again, the match wasn't over as Sinner, defying his evident fatigue, broke back when Alcaraz served for the match at 5-4, dragging the incredible contest into a match tiebreak as it went into its sixth wondrous hour.
Again, Alcaraz raised his game to sublime levels, dominating the breaker and striking one last superlative forehand winner on the run to take the title.
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Sinner's still here!
Alcaraz, 22, fought from two sets down and saved three championship points to defend his Roland Garros crown in a magnificent six-hour Paris thriller Getty Images Carlos Alcaraz produced a comeback for the ages to defeat Jannik Sinner and take the 2025 French Open final in a six-hour instant classic in Paris. Alcaraz, 22, defended his title by coming back from two sets down and saving three championship points to win 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2). The Spaniard was broken twice as the world No. 1 and slight favorite Sinner started strongly on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and Alcaraz went two sets behind after being edged out of the second-set tiebreak at sunny Roland Garros. Alcaraz won three breaks in the third set and won a dramatic tiebreak to level the match before he went 7-0 up in the championship breaker with some celestial tennis and sealed his triumph with a laser forehand. GO FURTHER Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner to win French Open in tennis classic Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-7(3), 1-2* Alcaraz Sinner 15-0, and the umpire confirms Sinner's ball is out, just. 15-all. Sinner serve called out, Alcaraz overrules and calls it in. These two gents, honestly. Ooh, Alcaraz return long, and this is game point to the world No. 1, the top seed, the pre-match favorite. The mid-match favorite! Another return long and Sinner is on the board. He's not going anywhere. Getty Images Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-7(3), *0-2 Alcaraz Sinner rather limped to his chair between games, and trudged wearily across court to receive serve from Carlos Alcaraz. Is his body failing him? 30-0 Alcaraz. Sinner into the net, slides for the volley, 30-15. A guttural roar from Alcaraz, deep from his diaphragm, bursts out of his mouth as he levers away a winner for 40-15 and game point. Sinner long, Alcaraz nods curtly to his box, who nod back. Jannik Sinner has never won a match more than three hours and 50 minutes. Carlos Alcaraz has never come from two sets down. One of those pillars will fall, alongside the perfect Grand Slam final record that both players currently hold. Getty Images Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-7(3), 0-1* Alcaraz Goodness me, Carlos Alcaraz is pumped up. He wins the first two points of the fifth and final set here on Chatrier, on Jannik Sinner's serve no less, and the crowd love it. Gasps as Alcaraz mishits one, bottom of the net, 15-30. Next point is massive. And it goes to Carlos, double break point! One saved by Sinner for 30-40... First serve out. Second serve, into a rally, one end to another, nearly four and a half hours on the clock, Alcaraz finally changes the rhythm, fearlessly, with a drop shot. And Sinner misses! Break! What a match. What a sport. Here we go. Getty Images Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-7(3) Alcaraz ALCARAZ TAKES THE SET! MY WORD, WHAT A TENNIS MATCH! Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-6(*3-6) Alcaraz Alcaraz high, Sinner smash, 4-3. What a treat this match has been. But Sinner duffs a second-serve return miles long for 5-3! And, pressure mounting on the tall Italian's shoulders, Sinner goes long! Alcaraz points at the ball mark, and it's out! He has three set points to take this into a deciding fifth set. Sinner won't feel secure even with a decent lead in a tiebreak. He led Alcaraz 3-0 in the deciding tiebreak of the China Open final last fall. Alcaraz went stratospheric and won seven points in a row to win the title. Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-6(*2-4) Alcaraz Ace from Alcaraz! Close, but Sinner says it's good. Another serve, called out, but it's good as both players and the umpire inspect it! 2-0 down, 3-2 up for Alcaraz. Still on serve though. That nuclear forehand sparked the momentum shift of this tiebreak on Chatrier. And Sinner goes wide! Four points in a row! Getty Images Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-6(2-1*) Alcaraz Alcaraz slams it into the net and mutters darkly and uncharitably. Sinner takes the serve after the narrowest of mini-breaks. Uh oh, Alcaraz long, Sinner 2-0 up and with the serve. Big next point. You absolute dancer, Carlos. He pings a forehand winner for 2-1 and takes the serve back. It is funny that re my earlier post that Sinner had lost all six of his matches longer than three hours 50 minutes, he got broken serving for the match as the clock ticked over that mark. Is three hours, 50 minutes for Sinner like midnight for Cinderella? Sinner struggling late in the day? Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-6* Alcaraz 40-15 to Jannik Sinner, world No. 1, but his feet are caked in quicksand as he can only watch Alcaraz grip it and rip it past him for a flaming forehand winner, easily more than 100 miles an hour on that. 40-30, but Sinner holds. Tiebreak. Remember, Sinner won the breaker in the second... Sinner has chosen a terrible time to play his worst tennis of the afternoon. Getty Images Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 4-6, 5-6* Alcaraz Almost disappointment, a stunned hush, greets Sinner going 15-0 up. Then Alcaraz predicts which way he will smash but can only bat it into the tramlines. Good effort, nonetheless. But he's 30-0 down and a tiebreak beckons. Or does it? Sinner bullets one into the net, 30-15. Poor. Can Sinner lose this set and win the match? If he does it'll be one of the most amazing resets in the history of the sport. Now that is a wild stat from our very own Matt Futterman . Momentum = swung. Getty Images Alcaraz has won 13 out of 14 points since being down triple-match point.
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Jennifer Kupcho wins ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending nearly three-year drought
Advertisement But the South Korean finished strong, with five birdies on the back, including the last two holes, for a 68. It wasn't enough to catch Kupcho, who was in her own world. Kupcho finished at 15-under 198 in one of only two LPGA events contested over 54 holes. 'I really just wasn't thinking about anything else,' Kupcho said. 'I think in my mind I had set on 14 under, so I was really just trying to get to that number. Obviously did a little better. Yeah, just feels really nice. Just kind of stayed in my zone the whole time.' Jennifer Kupcho from 20 feet out to extend her lead 💪 — LPGA (@LPGA) The 36-year-old Lee won her only LPGA title 12 years ago in the Bahamas on a course shortened to 12 holes because of historic rain. But she had played only 18 times in the last seven years, finishing off her college degree and working briefly for Financial Forum. Lately, she has been a part-time golf teacher. Advertisement Lee got into the field as a past tournament winner, at No. 1,426 in the women's world ranking. 'I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and then got out,' Lee said. 'Then I realize, 'Oh, I'm good at golf.' So I got to teach golf. I started teaching a little bit, not full time, but I was teaching a little bit and I loved it. I absolutely loved it. 'So since then I was teaching a little bit and playing at the same time and rehabbing, more treatment on my shoulder and back and ankle. I still have few students waiting for me in LA so I get to see them next week.' Kupcho gets a much-needed win after going without a trophy after her three-win 2022 season. 'It just feels amazing,' Kupcho said. 'I think I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good.' She said she carried some momentum from last week in the US Women's Open, even though she missed the cut. 'Me and the US Open sometimes just don't get along. I think I just carried my ball striking into this week,' Kupcho said. 'Hit the ball really well last week, hit it well this week, and just sunk some putts.'
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
After a flawless fortnight in Paris, Sinner's eye-catching run at French Open ends in heartbreak
PARIS (AP) — After a flawless fortnight in Paris, Jannik Sinner was on the brink of capturing his first French Open title on Sunday after a dominant run on the clay courts of Roland-Garros. Facing defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, the top-ranked Italian was firmly in control. Sinner's deep groundstrokes, excellent service, heavy top spin, and subtle variations had worn down Alcaraz, who found himself 5-3 down and trailing 0-40 in the fourth set, and facing three match points. At that moment, it felt like the best of all possible worlds for the 23-year-old Sinner. But then the momentum swung. Alcaraz fought back, saved the first match point when Sinner sent a forehand long. On the second, Sinner missed a return. The third ended with Alcaraz winning a short baseline exchange. Sinner had just let his chance slip away. From there, Alcaraz produced one of the greatest comeback in Roland-Garros history to win the longest final ever played on the Parisian dirt — 5 hours and 29 minutes — 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2). 'It's an amazing trophy, so I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's okay,' Sinner said during the trophy ceremony. Exciting rivalry There is hardly anything between the two best players in tennis at the moment, who have now combined to win the last six Grand Slam titles and appear poised to build one of the sport's most compelling rivalries in the years ahead. Sunday's duel delivered a match of rare intensity, filled with punishing baseline rallies, exquisite drop shots, and brilliant passing shots — thrilling a packed Court Philippe-Chatrier. 'This one hurts' 'Obviously, this one hurts,' he said. 'There's not so much to say right now. But again, I'm happy with how we're trying to improve every day and put myself in these kinds of positions. It was a very high-level match, that's for sure. I'm happy to be part of it. But yeah, the final result hurts.' It was a particularly tough ending for Sinner, who had not dropped a set on his way to the final, including a dominant semifinal win over three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic. Before facing Alcaraz, Sinner had never lost a Grand Slam final, winning his first three. A victory would have made him just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive major titles. 'I'm pretty sure you are going to be a champion, not once but many, many times,' Alcaraz told him during the trophy ceremony. 'It is a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.' 'Now it's my time to take something from the close people I have,' he said. 'As I've always said, before my career started, I never would've imagined finding myself in this position. It wasn't even a dream because it felt so far away — I wasn't even thinking about it. Now I find myself here, playing the longest final in the history of Roland-Garros. It hurts, yes, but on the other hand, you can't go on crying.' ___
