Alcaraz saves three match points to beat Sinner in French Open final for the ages
CARLOS ALCARAZ SAVED three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages.
Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes.
Advertisement
The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner's 20-match winning run at the majors.
Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min.
Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation.
Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year's US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs.
He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final — and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.
Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition after a three-month doping ban.
– © AFP 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
Portugal triumph on penalties to beat Spain in Nations League final
RUBEN NEVES SCORED the decisive spot kick as Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw on Sunday in Munich to claim their second Nations League title. Portugal twice went behind in regulation time but twice fought back to level the scores. Advertisement Cristiano Ronaldo scored the second equaliser, before being subbed off with cramp before extra time. – © AFP 2025 More to follow…
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Jannik Sinner suffers ‘Roger Federer curse' as French Open final fan repeats fateful gesture six years on
JANNIK SINNER had two hands on the French Open crown - or at least nine fingers... But fans reckon he was then hit by the very same curse that struck 5 Jannik Sinner reflects on Carlos Alcaraz storming back to win Credit: Reuters 5 Roger Federer likewise blew match points against Novak Djokovic Credit: Getty Nothing less than that of "The Cursed Finger". Sinner was leading Carlos Alcaraz 2-1 in sets and 5-3 in the fourth, before earning three match points at love-40 on the Spaniard's serve. And it was then that some Sinner fans gleefully raised a finger in anticipation of the World No1 clinching his first Roland Garros title. That's also what happened to Federer in the SW19 seats when he had two match points on his own serve against big rival Novak Djokovic back in 2019. READ MORE ON JANNIK SINNER Both times fingers went up. Both times fortunes went down for the man on top. Djokovic clinched a five-set epic, then Alcaraz did just that too on Sunday - retaining his French crown via the longest-ever Roland Garros final. And fans couldn't resist making creepy comparisons. One wrote: "If it's not a cursed finger again" - followed by crying-with-laughter emojis. Most read in Sport 5 Haunted history repeated itself as fans celebrated too early in two Grand Slam finals six years apart BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Others taunted Sinner fans - as their hero went on to The 23-year-old might also have thought the spirits were against him for another reason. Novak Djokovic digs out French Open rival for 'spying' on him and seeing Champions League trophy He But replays showed line judges had been right to call it long. Three-time Slam winner Sinner admitted afterwards it was tough to speak after losing from such a strong position. The rueful runner-up said: "It's easier to play than talk now. "I'm still happy with this trophy - I won't sleep very well tonight but it is OK." Meanwhile, Alcaraz praised his beaten rival - perhaps knowing the pair are way ahead of the world's rest in the men's game. He told Sinner: "The level you have is amazing. "It is a privilege to share a court with you in every tournament and in making history." 5 Credit: Getty 5 Federer failed to pick up his sixth SW19 crown in 2019 Credit: AFP
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Wimbledon tennis finals to be shown on new TV channel after 88 years of BBC coverage
THE Wimbledon singles finals will be shown live on a BBC rival - giving the broadcaster a unique boast. Eurosport have landed a five-year deal that also includes a daily 90-minute package of tennis highlights from SW19. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who won the French Open on Sunday, will be back at Wimbledon this year to defend the trophy, above, that he won in 2024 Credit: Getty 2 Czech star Barbora Krejcikova lifted the women's SW19 trophy last year Credit: Getty The company is now boasting its the "only channel in the UK to show live coverage of all four of the sport's major singles prizes". That's However, the Beeb will remain Wimbledon's main domestic broadcaster - after its 88 years of coverage. The arrangements with BBC and Eurosport are both with the All England Lawn Tennis Cub (AELTC). READ MORE TENNIS NEWS Ofcom Listed Events regulations allow for "secondary broadcasters" at major sporting tournaments. And that's the status Eurosport is taking with the AELTC at Wimbledon. Susanna Dinnage, MD of Discovery Networks UK and Ireland said the new deal "cements" Eurosport's "position as Former Sky Sports presenter Rob Curling will host the channel's nightly highlights from 10pm. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK This year's Wimbledon runs from Monday June 30 to Sunday July 13. Britain's two-time SW19 king Novak Djokovic digs out French Open rival for 'spying' on him and seeing Champions League trophy The grass-court tournament retains pride of place in the BBC's sporting armoury. But it costs the Beeb around £60million a year for the privilege.
