5 Grand Slams at 22 years, 1 month, 3 days, just like Nadal: Alcaraz calls it destiny
Carlos Alcaraz called it destiny as he went level with Rafael Nadal's tally of grand slam wins by beating Jannik Sinner in a thrilling French Open final on Sunday, June 8. Alcaraz won his fifth grand slam on Sunday after coming back to beat Sinner in a titanic battle and equalled the tally of his idol Nadal at the age of 22 days, 1 month and 3 days. Nadal beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2008 to win his fifth grand slam at the same age.advertisementSpeaking after the win, Alcaraz said, as quoted by Reuters, that it was a stat he would keep with him forever. The young Spaniard hailed his legendary compatriot as his idol and inspiration before saying it is a huge honour for him to share a record with the record-time French Open winner.'The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Rafa Nadal, I'm going to say that's destiny," Alcaraz said of equalling Nadal's tally of five major titles at the same stage of their careers.
"It is a stat that I'm going to keep for me forever, winning the fifth Grand Slam at the same time as Rafa, my idol, my inspiration. It's a huge honour."Alcaraz was two sets down in the final and conceded three championship points to Sinner in the third set before making a stunning comeback to win the final 4–6, 6–7 (4), 6-4, 7–6 (3), 7–6 (10-2) in a match that went on for 5 hours and 29 minutes. The Spaniard credited the crowd at Roland Garros for his win on the day.advertisement'Without them, it would have been impossible to come back,' he said. 'At the start of the third set, everything was going his way. I had to delete those thoughts from my mind and fight.''I don't know how I saved that game'Speaking about the turning point in the match for him, Alcaraz said that it was when he was 6-5 in the fifth set with everything going Sinner's way at that time and still force the match into a super tie-breaker.The match points were not great points. I saved match points, it's great but the points were not good," said Alcaraz."At 6-5 in the fifth at 15-30 or 30-all, advantage for me, 40-all. Those points I remember pretty clear, and honestly I still don't know how I did it."I mean, it was balls on the line, slicing the line. He was dominating that game. Honestly I still don't know how I saved that game."Alcaraz will now turn his attention to defending his crown at Wimbledon.Must Watch
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Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Shellshocked Jannik Sinner breaks important golden rule during French Open 2025 final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner was shellshocked as Carlos Alcaraz sealed a sensational victory in the French Open 2025 men's singles final, on Sunday at Roland Garros in Paris. Alcaraz showed immense resilience and grit to come back from behind, and stunning the World No. 1. The Spaniard lost the first two sets, and then staged a comeback to win the next three, for a 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 victory hard-fought win. It was also the longest-ever Roland Garros final, which also lasted five hours and 29 minutes. Sinner also showed a different side of his, in the defeat to Alcaraz. The Italian is seen as an ice-cold player, who always keep his calm and composure in tight pressure situations. But against Alcaraz, he was also against a crowd who was against, particulary due to his controversial short doping ban. There was a point in the match, when Sinner even looked like he would break down. Speaking after his fourth round win vs Rublev, Sinner also revealed that he can't always control himself emotionally. 'Absolutely not true,' he said. 'Inside there is a storm going on. Tennis is a very mental game, you try and not show anything to your opponent. When you see your opponent struggling a little, you always try and raise [your game]. I'm someone who tries to watch a lot on the other side, try and understand how my opponent is feeling but again, in the beginning of my career it was a little bit, the storm was outside, not only inside. I'm happy how I handle situations [now],' he added. Meanwhile, after his defeat to Alcaraz, Sinner cheekily said, 'Some time ago, we would have loved to be here. Still an amazing tournament even though it's very, very difficult now, but it's okay. Thanks so much to all the ball kids, you do an amazing job and make life so much easier on court.' He also added, 'Obviously the support has been amazing throughout the couple of weeks. You are amazing. Again, thank you and see you guys next year again.'
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Forehand fury and Rafa fire: How Carlos Alcaraz's tactical brilliance blazed a Paris epic against Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz's resolve to emulate Rafael Nadal, on the very court that enshrines his idol's legacy, culminated in a performance that defied belief and etched his own name into tennis history. In defending his French Open crown, Alcaraz clinched his fifth career Grand Slam title at the exact same age—22 years, 1 month, and 3 days—as Nadal did in 2008. Remarkably, both milestones came through unthinkable, come-from-behind victories on the sport's grandest stages. Nadal's triumph was his legendary win over Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final—often hailed as the greatest match ever played. Seventeen years later, Alcaraz staged a similarly breathtaking escape, outlasting his modern nemesis Jannik Sinner in a five-hour, 29-minute Roland Garros epic on Sunday. "I think the real champions are made in situations when you deal with that pressure"—Alcaraz couldn't have found better words to summarize the night. More than his bounce-back ability, it was the sheer drama and audacity of the performance that ensures this match will be remembered for decades—worthy of comparison with Nadal's 2008 triumph or even Bjorn Borg's fabled 1980 Wimbledon battle with John McEnroe. Serving at 5-3 in the fourth set, Sinner held three championship points at 0/40. The Italian, the in-form player over the past fortnight, unleashed a near-perfect stretch of tennis that left Alcaraz teetering. Yet, the Spaniard showed astonishing composure to escape the game. Sinner had a second opportunity in the deciding set, right after breaking back. Serving at 6-5, Alcaraz trailed 15-30, but wriggled free once again—then followed it up with an impeccable display in the final-set tie-break. Yet, beyond mental fortitude, it was Alcaraz's explosive forehand that truly scripted his monumental win. Heading into the final, the narrative centered around Sinner's near-flawless forehand—dominant throughout the Paris fortnight—while Alcaraz's had shown signs of vulnerability. The Italian's game plan was clear: target Alcaraz's forehand. But on the night it mattered most, it was that very shot that rescued the Spaniard. Alcaraz hit 30 forehand winners and committed 35 unforced errors, for a difference of just -5. Sinner, by contrast, managed 16 winners but racked up 34 errors, yielding a far greater differential of -18. In fact, across the first two sets, both players were statistically similar on the forehand (Sinner 5/15, Alcaraz 6/17). But from the third set onward, Alcaraz surged—finishing with a +3 difference in forehand exchanges, compared to Sinner's -8. Alcaraz also managed his backhand with restraint and precision, tallying 9 winners to 20 errors (-11), while Sinner posted 10 winners to 28 errors (-18). Another decisive factor was Alcaraz's growing dominance in extended rallies (5+ shots). But his comeback hinged most critically on flipping the short rallies in his favor. While Sinner edged those exchanges early (by a point in the first two sets), Alcaraz dramatically turned the tide, winning 11 more points than the world No. 1 in shorter rallies over the next two sets. In the final tie-break, Alcaraz—who had been playing catch-up for most of the night—delivered his finest tennis, hitting four winners, including the championship point: a screaming forehand passing shot down the line that left an exhausted Sinner rooted to the clay.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
French Open 2025: How much Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff won as prize money; total prize pool and round-wise allocation
How much will Carlos Alcaraz win as prize money after clinching the top prize at the 2025 French Open (Image via AP /Thibault Camus) Carlos Alcaraz took on Italy's Jannik Sinner in the final of the men's 2025 French Open final on Sunday, as the Spaniard came out victorious after a gruelling five-hour, 29-minute battle. After going down two sets to Sinner, the 22-year-old staged a marvelous comeback in the following sets to set himself up for a tie-breaker with the World No 1. What followed was a thunderous display in the tie-breaker as Alcaraz sealed the win, with the score reading 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2) in his favour. The win meant that Alcaraz successfully defended his French Open title and became the Alcaraz became the third-youngest man to win five Grand Slam titles in history. The French Open has announced a six percent increase in prize money for 2025, with singles champions set to receive ₹24.92 crore (€2,550,000). The total prize pool for the main draw has reached €56,352,000m (₹550.86 crore), with rewards increasing as players advance through the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious against Jannik Sinner in what is being considered one of the greatest grand slam matches ever, saving match points along the way. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo In the women's competition, Coco Gauff claimed her second grand slam title after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set contest. The French Open's prize money now stands in comparison to other major tournaments, with Wimbledon offering £2.7m to its champions last year, while the US Open awarded £2.66m, and the Australian Open provided £1.76m to its winners. Players will receive incrementally larger prizes as they progress through each round of the tournament. Here's a look at round-by-round allocation of prize money for the competitors at the 2025 French Open: Poll Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz will win more Grand Slam titles in the future? Yes, he has a bright future No, it's too competitive French Open 2025 prize money Men's and women's singles Winner ₹2,49,49,440 Runner-up ₹1,24,74,720 Semi-finalists ₹67,51,912 Quarter-finalists ₹43,05,712 Fourth round ₹25,93,872 Third round ₹16,44,926 Second round ₹11,45,841 First round ₹7,63,094 Men's and women's doubles Winners ₹57,72,432 Runners-up ₹28,86,216 Semi-finalists ₹14,48,808 Quarter-finalists ₹7,82,760 Third round ₹4,21,618 Second round ₹2,69,092 First round ₹1,76,128 Mixed Doubles Winners ₹11,94,066 Runners-up ₹5,97,033 Semi-finalists ₹3,03,338 Quarter-finalists ₹1,76,128 Second round ₹9,78,448 First round ₹4,89,224 Wheelchair Men's and Women's Singles Winner ₹62,48,947 Runner-up ₹31,24,473 Semi-finalists ₹20,15,827 Quarter-finalists ₹12,09,467 First round ₹8,56,154 Wheelchair Men's and Women's Doubles Winner ₹21,20,132 Runner-up ₹11,10,897 Semi-finalists ₹8,07,726 Quarter-finalists ₹5,03,204
