Alcaraz wins longest French Open final against Sinner

Euronews

13 hours ago

Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) on Sunday and win the French Open title for a second straight year.
Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam tournament in as many finals, produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament.
It was even better than his performance in last year's final , when he came back from 2-1 down to beat Alexander Zverev. This time Alcaraz emulated Novak Djokovic's feat from the 2021 FINAL at Roland Garros, when the now 24-time major winner fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.
'I'm just proud. I'm just really, really happy,' Alcaraz said before praising Sinner: 'I know how hard you are chasing this tournament. You're going to be champion, not once, but many, many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making this story with you.'
It was the first time that Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final, but the fifth time in succession he has now lost to Alcaraz, who clinched the 20th title of his career at the age of 22.
It was also the longest-ever French Open final — 5 hours, 29 minutes — in the Open Era. The sheer tightness of it reflected in the fact that Sinner won 193 points, Alcaraz 192.
For after 3 hours, 43 minutes, Sinner had his first match point. But with just over five hours since the match began, Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 up.
Sinner made a remarkable retrieve from yet another superb Alcaraz drop shot. At the very limit he could stretch to, Sinner glided the ball over the net, with the ball landing with the softness of an autumn leaf and out of Alcaraz's reach to make it 15-40.
When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, it was his turn to milk the applause and he was two points away from victory in the 12th game, with Alcaraz on serve and at 15-30 and at deuce.
But Alcaraz made a staggering cross-court backhand to make it 6-6 and force a tiebreaker, with the crowd going wild when Alcaraz's cross-court winner made it 4-0.
Sinner could not find a way back and Alcaraz won the tiebreaker and the match with a superb forehand pass down the line and then fell onto his back to celebrate. Then he rushed over to dance and hug the team members in his box.
'I'm very happy for you, and you deserve it, so congrats,' the 23-year-old Sinner told Alcaraz. 'It's an amazing trophy, so I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's okay."
Israeli authorities confirmed they killed Mohammed Sinwar, who served recently as Hamas leader in Gaza Strip, after his body was located and later verified in Israel.
The IDF said they found him underground, allegedly close to the European Hospital in Khan Younis, where he is said to have stayed in an underground control and command centre.
In the footage released on Sunday, a weapon seems to be located close to the body. Sinwar was killed in an airstrike Israel carried out towards the premises last month.
Israeli fire killed at least 12 people and wounded others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and US-backed group, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said Sunday.
Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of Palestinians — desperate after 20 months of war — are being directed to collect food.
Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials.
In all, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said. Israel's military said it struck dozens of militant targets throughout Gaza over the past day.
Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have been destroyed.
The new aid hubs are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups.
Israel and the United States accuse the Hamas militant group of stealing aid, but the UN denies there is a systematic diversion. It also says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs, allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forces people to relocate to where aid sites are positioned.