logo
Carlos Alcaraz pulls off historic comeback, lives on the edge at Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz pulls off historic comeback, lives on the edge at Roland Garros

Time of India2 days ago

Carlos Alcaraz (AP Photo)
Spaniard Alcaraz pulled off winners from impossible positions in the
French Open
final, finding angles where most players would only see lines
The Times of India at Roland Garros:
Juan Carlos Ferrero walked the edge with Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final. After three hours and 43 minutes of play, facing three match points, the 45-year-old felt the moment as did the full house on Court Philippe Chatrier.
At 3-5, 0-40 in the fourth set a veil of silence descended on the arena as Alcaraz was getting ready to serve. The 22-year-old looked at Ferrero, his long-time coach. 'It was like he was saying, I'm still here,' Ferrero said, 'I'm not saying that I believed he would recover from 3-5, love-40, but with Carlos everything is possible.'
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
The word Ferrero was looking for was 'attitude', which when translated to body language spelt 'vamos'.
Not long after Ferrero had exited the media room, the world No. 2 — who had scripted that awe-inspiring 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) win over the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner to claim his fifth Grand Slam title — was asked if he believed he was in the match when staring down the barrel.
Poll
What aspect of Alcaraz's performance impressed you the most in the French Open final?
His ability to save match points
His powerful winners
His mental toughness
His crowd interaction
'Absolutely,' Alcaraz said. 'The match was not finished, it's one point from losing the match. A lot of times people come back from match point down in the final of Grand Slams.
I wanted to be one of those players, who saved match points in a Grand Slam final and ended up winning.'
Some of Alcaraz's winners in the business end of the fifth set as he attempted to put the finishing touches to one of the greatest fightbacks in the sport were electric, it charged the crowd, and defined the exchange. The Spaniard had 70 in the match.
Who's that IPL player?
The first Grand Slam men's championship match between two players born in the 2000s made history, turning into the longest Roland Garros final on record at five hours and 29 minutes, the second longest of Major finals after the 2012 Australian Open that lasted five-hours and 53-minutes.
Alcaraz had the spectators — nearly 15,000-strong on Chatrier, including celebrities from the entertainment industry and the world of sport, young fans and seasoned spectators — gasping, thumping their palms and jumping up on their feet and screaming 'Carlitos, Carlitos, Carlitos'. The chant is fast becoming a crowd favourite wherever he plays.
The Spaniard, who won his first Major crown at the 2022 US Open as a 19-year-old, has now won at least one Slam in four consecutive seasons.
Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket's TV market and the watershed moments
The world No. 2, who was propelled into the contest by the energy of the crowd in the early part of the match when Sinner looked to be running away with it, thanked fans by playing his best tennis on the home stretch, the 12th game of the fifth set and the match tie-break. He pulled off winners from impossible positions, finding angles where most players would only see lines.
'I had to go for it no matter what, no matter if I was down, no matter if it was the super tiebreak,' Alcaraz said of his decision to accelerate, which was exactly what the Italian failed to do when he had the match points.
'I thought it was time to go for it, not be afraid of mistakes. That's why I (played) my best tennis in crucial moments, at 6-5 in the fifth. I still don't know how I did it. I still don't know how I saved that game.
'
At 22 years and 34 days old, Alcaraz became the third-youngest man to win five Grand Slam titles in history. He trails Bjorn Borg (22 years, 5 days) and
Rafael Nadal
(22 years, 33 days).
'The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam in the same age as Rafa Nadal, I'm going to say that's destiny,' Alcaraz said.
'It is a stat I'm going to keep with me forever, winning the fifth Grand Slam at the same time as Rafa, my idol, my inspiration is a huge honour.'
Alcaraz, who became the ninth man in the Open Era to come from two sets down in a Major final, has rallied twice before from difficult situations in Grand Slam finals.
'I prefer to win in three sets,' the champion said smiling. 'But when the situation is against you, you have to keep fighting. It is a Grand Slam final, it's no time to be tired, it's no time to give up. The real champions are made in those situations when you deal with that pressure.'
Alcaraz should know.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

RCB fully responsible for stampede, K'taka govt tells high court
RCB fully responsible for stampede, K'taka govt tells high court

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

RCB fully responsible for stampede, K'taka govt tells high court

The Karnataka government on Wednesday told the High Court that IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bore full responsibility for the deadly stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which left 11 people dead and several others injured. Opposing the bail plea of RCB's head of marketing, Nikhil Sosale, who was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on June 6, the state submitted that RCB's last-minute social media posts, including announcements about free passes and open invitations to the team's victory celebration, triggered the massive and unmanageable crowd buildup. The submissions were made before Justice SR Krishna Kumar, who has reserved orders on Sosale's bail application and is expected to pronounce the verdict on June 12. Terming the entire celebration 'illegal,' the government argued that RCB neither sought the requisite permissions nor implemented necessary safety measures to manage an event that ultimately drew lakhs of people. 'There was no permission taken. What they submitted was an intimation—not a formal request seeking approval,' Advocate General (AG) Shashi Kiran Shetty told the court. 'They tweeted to the world, inviting lakhs of fans without specifying who could enter or what protocols applied. The entire event violated legal norms,' he added. The AG cited multiple posts made from RCB's official handle on X (formerly Twitter) between 11:30 pm on June 3 and 8:55 am on June 4. These posts announced a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium but offered no details on ticketing, crowd control, or security arrangements. When Justice Kumar asked whether the state's position was that RCB was 'completely responsible,' the AG replied: 'Yes. They have tried to shift the blame to the State, but the entire responsibility lies with them. The event was illegal under the Karnataka Police Act and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with disobedience to lawful orders. This has criminal consequences.' Defending Sosale, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta argued that the marketing head was being unfairly targeted. 'He is merely an employee, not a decision-maker. He cannot be held vicariously liable for actions taken by the company,' Chouta told the court. Chouta also pointed out that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had publicly invited people to the event, but the AG refuted this claim. When the bench sought clarity on Sosale's personal responsibility, Justice Kumar observed: 'He is not even a director; just a marketing official. You cannot conflate the company with the individual. Show us a document where it's his responsibility to seek permission.' In response, the AG cited a tri-partite agreement between RCB, BCCI and KSCA to underline RCB's obligations but admitted that the document did not directly implicate Sosale. However, Shetty maintained: 'We have identified the right person for arrest based on the investigation so far.' Chouta further argued that the arrest was procedurally flawed, pointing out that it took place on June 6, even though the investigation had been officially transferred to the CID on June 5. The AG, however, countered that local police were well within their rights to act until the handover was formally completed and insisted the arrest was lawful. Sosale has also challenged the legality of his arrest, alleging that it was carried out at the behest of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah -- an act he contends exceeds the CM's constitutional authority in criminal investigations.

BCCI likely to hold Apex Council meeting on June 14; IPL victory celebrations norms on agenda
BCCI likely to hold Apex Council meeting on June 14; IPL victory celebrations norms on agenda

India Gazette

time4 hours ago

  • India Gazette

BCCI likely to hold Apex Council meeting on June 14; IPL victory celebrations norms on agenda

ANI 12 Jun 2025, 01:27 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): In the wake of the tragic stampede in Bengaluru earlier this month, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to hold an apex council meeting on June 14 in order to discuss the new norms for the celebrations for the teams following their title triumph in their respective competition. The incident occurred when thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. 'BCCI will call an apex council meeting on June 14 to discuss the IPL celebration and formulate new norms. The meeting could be held virtually,' a BCCI Source told ANI. Eleven people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy stadium as a huge crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of RCB for winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday. The Karnataka Police have also filed an FIR against the Karnataka Cricket Board Administrative Committee, RCB, among others, in connection with the stampede incident. CM Siddaramaiah also expressed his deep sorrow over the incident. 'A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured. Eleven people died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident.' RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (ANI)

Scheffler set for ‘hardest' test at Oakmont for US Open
Scheffler set for ‘hardest' test at Oakmont for US Open

The Hindu

time5 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Scheffler set for ‘hardest' test at Oakmont for US Open

World number one Scottie Scheffler said Wednesday the formidable Oakmont course could provide "the hardest" challenge of his career at the 125th US Open this week. Lightning-fast sloped greens combined with deep, dense rough and bunkers designed to leave balls along the edges had many players calling it the toughest layout they have faced as Oakmont hosts a record 10th US Open. "This is probably the hardest golf course that we'll play, maybe ever," said Scheffler, who won last month's PGA Championship for his third major title, ahead of Thursday's opening round. Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters in April to complete a career Grand Slam, called Oakmont a "big brute" and added: "You're going to have to have your wits about you this week all the way." Not since American Jordan Spieth captured the 2015 Masters and US Open has anyone won consecutive majors, but two-time Masters winner Scheffler is on a hot streak. Scheffler has won three of his past four starts, matching a PGA Tour record for low 72-hole total to take the Byron Nelson and defending his Memorial title 10 days ago in addition to his major triumph. "He's in the middle of every fairway," third-ranked Xander Schauffele said of Scheffler. "It takes a serious amount of discipline to play away from pins and hit really good shots to safe targets, and that's what it takes to play well at US Opens." Three-time major winner Spieth said most players will pitch onto fairways from the thick rough rather than try to blast out short of the green. "It magnifies once you make a mistake if you don't play the right shot," Spieth said. "It may cost you half a shot to get back in the fairway a little further up. "They give you more green here to entice you into doing more than you should. There's some risk-reward on this place. You've got to avoid compounding mistakes for sure." Finding the fairway is crucial, McIlroy said. "Decent lies in the rough are few and far between," McIlroy said. "You don't want to ride your luck on this golf course. "You hit the ball in the rough and you're not going to have any control of your ball going into the green, especially these greens that are pitched away from you. "You have to be able to spin the ball going into these greens if you want it to finish anywhere close to where you want." 'There was no loft' And sometimes the rough just wins. "I had some lies that were not playable," fourth-ranked Collin Morikawa said of his time in the rough during practice rounds. "There was no loft." Scheffler, who turns 29 the Saturday after the tournament, made his major debut at Oakmont at the 2016 US Open, missing the cut as a 19-year-old amateur with his older sister Callie serving as his caddie. One year later, Scheffler was low amateur at the US Open and five years after that, he was a Masters champion. "I remember coming here and thinking it was really fun, really cool to be able to play in the US Open," Scheffler said. "But what I really remembered was coming back the next year and ... finishing low am." Scheffler also recalled rushing off the course to watch game six of the 2016 NBA Finals, when LeBron James led Cleveland to victory on the way to taking the title over Stephen Curry and Golden State. "This year's finals is probably not going to affect my schedule as much," Scheffler said. "Golden State was playing Cleveland and I really wanted to watch that because you had LeBron playing Steph." The devoted Dallas Mavericks fan has struggled since his team traded star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. "Ever since the Mavs traded Luka, I've been a little bummed watching the NBA. Hurts a little bit still," he said. "We'll have to regroup and get ready for next season for the Mavs."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store