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.
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
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 29 minutes - champion Alcaraz finally 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. 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 to chase down a seemingly irretrievable drop shot, broke back as Alcaraz served for the match at 5-4, dragging the incredible contest, full of amazing, lung-busting rallies, 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 on the run - incredibly, his 70th winner of the match to Sinner's 53 - to seal the title. It was the perfect way to end a scintillating duel between the two young modern masters - the first time a grand slam final has been contested by two men born this century - as Alcaraz enjoyed a fifth successive win over the Italian to end Sinner's 20-match winning streak in the majors. After receiving the trophy from 1999 champion Andre Agassi, Alcaraz paid tribute to his opponent who was returning to the grand slam arena after serving a three-month doping ban. 'Jannik, it's amazing the level you reach,' he told Sinner at the presentation. 'I am sure you will be champion many, many times and it is a privilege to share the court with you and making history with you ... You are a huge inspiration for everyone and myself.' This felt like indisputable evidence that the future of men's tennis belongs to the pair of them, as the two shooting stars have now won the last six Grand Slams between them. It used to be the 'big four'; now it looks for all the world like a 'big two'. Their incredible joust in a final had only ever been beaten in length by the five-hour 53-minute epic between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open. In terms of quality, though, perhaps only the Roger Federer-Rafa Nadal five-set classic at Wimbledon in 2008 could top this, even though these two youngsters were taking the power and speed levels to freakish new peaks. Greg Rusedski, the former US Open finalist, and two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera, both hailed it the best match they'd ever seen, while John McEnroe felt the level they were playing at now was the highest he'd ever seen. 'It is easier to play than to talk right now ... I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's OK,' said a crestfallen Sinner. 'We tried our best today. We gave everything we had. 'I was a break up in the third, a break up in the fourth, had three match points, serving for the match. 'I came back. Six-five up in the fifth ... so many chances I couldn't use.' As for Alcaraz, he was just proud of how he had fought when on the back foot for so much of the match. 'To say it was one of the greatest matches in the history of grand slams is really high status,' he said amid the widespread praise. 'I have to say there's been better finals - Rafa-Djokovic (2012) is pretty high - but I'm really happy to put my name to one of the best finals in the history of grand slams here. Really proud.' He thought of his grandfather watching back in Spain. 'I hope he's proud with what I did today with the three Cs,' smiled Alcaraz.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Jannik Sinner says French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz 'hurts' after epic battle at Roland-Garros
After a flawless fortnight in Paris, Jannik Sinner was on the brink of capturing his first French Open title 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 the Spaniard, 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 comebacks in Roland-Garros history to win the longest final ever played on the Parisian dirt — 5 hours and 29 minutes. "It's an amazing trophy, so I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's OK," Sinner said during the trophy ceremony. There is hardly anything between the two best players in tennis at the moment, who have now combined to win the past six Grand Slam titles and appear poised to build one of the sport's most compelling rivalries in the years ahead. The 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. Reflecting on the match in his post-final press conference, Sinner tried to draw positives from a devastating loss. "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." Sinner, who will remain world number one, said he will lean on his family and loved ones to recover from the loss. "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." AP
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Superstar comes back from the dead to win greatest ever tennis match
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 finally 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. 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, full of amazing, lung-busting rallies, 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 on the run — incredibly, his 70th winner of the match to Sinner's 53 — to seal the title. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. It was the perfect way to end a scintillating duel between the two young modern masters — the first time a grand slam final has been contested by two men born this century — as Alcaraz enjoyed a fifth successive win over the Italian to end Sinner's 20-match winning streak in the majors. After receiving the trophy from 1999 champion Andre Agassi, Alcaraz paid tribute to his opponent who was returning to the grand slam arena after serving a three-month doping ban. 'Jannik, it's amazing the level you reach,' he told Sinner at the presentation. 'I am sure you will be champion many, many times and it is a privilege to share the court with you and making history with you. 'I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament, in other tournaments. You are a huge inspiration for everyone and myself.' This felt like indisputable evidence that the future of men's tennis belongs to the pair of them, as the two shooting stars have now won the last six grand slams between them. It used to be the 'big four'; now it looks for all the world like a 'big two'. John McEnroe made the 'semi-crazy' declaration that Sinner and Alcaraz had set a new standard beyond what even the best of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer could muster. 'Sinner and Alcaraz against Rafael Nadal on clay, you would make a serious argument that they would beat Nadal at his best,' he said. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. The incredible joust in a final had only ever been beaten in length by the five-hour, 53-minute epic between Djokovic and Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open. In terms of quality, though, perhaps only the Federer-Nadal five-set classic at Wimbledon in 2008 could top this, even though these two youngsters were taking the power and speed levels to freakish new peaks. Greg Rusedski, the former US Open finalist, and two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera, both hailed it the best match they'd ever seen, while John McEnroe felt the level they were playing at now was the highest he'd ever seen. Federer wrote: 'Three winners in Paris today: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the beautiful game of tennis. What a match!' But Sinner was crestfallen. 'It is easier to play than to talk right now ... I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's OK,' he said on court. 'We tried our best today. We gave everything we had. 'I was a break up in the third, a break up in the fourth, had three match points, serving for the match. 'I came back. Six-five up in the fifth ... so many chances I couldn't use.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. As for Alcaraz, he was just proud how he had fought when on the back foot for so much of the match. 'To say it was one of the greatest matches in the history of grand slams, is really high status,' he said amid the widespread praise. 'I have to say there's been better finals — Rafa-Djokovic (2012) is pretty high — but I'm really happy to put my name to one of the best finals in the history of grand slams here. Really proud.' He thought of his grandfather watching back in Spain. 'I hope he's proud with what I did today with the three Cs,' smiled Alcaraz. That is cabeza, corazon and cojones — head, heart and balls.
