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Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Prince of Clay Alcaraz battles back from the brink to retain French Open crown
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink of a first Grand Slam final loss to outlast Jannik Sinner in a French Open title clash for the ages on Sunday and keep his crown, cementing his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old saved three match points in the fourth set to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) and continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian's 20-match winning run at the majors. Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros - and soaked up the roaring ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to 14-times champion Nadal's reign. 'I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament,' Alcaraz told Sinner after collecting the Musketeers' Cup. 'I'm sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.' Victory made him only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Swiss great Roger Federer but Alcaraz was more enthralled with an achievement he shared with fellow Spaniard and 22-times major champion Nadal. 'The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Nadal, that's destiny ,' Alcaraz told reporters. 'It's a stat I'm going to keep forever … It's a huge honour. Hopefully it's not going to stop like this.' Alcaraz and Sinner, who have lifted seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority in the men's game, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s. Sunday's five-hour-plus fiesta was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved a match point en route to victory in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz puts French Open title on line against scorching Sinner Alcaraz matched Argentine Gaston Gaudio's 2004 French Open feat and Serbian Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon comeback in 2019. Playing his first Grand Slam after serving a three-month ban after a doping case, top seed Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes. However, the 23-year-old was broken in the fifth game when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense opening set following an unforced error by Alcaraz. On the ropes Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier. An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down before, battled hard in the hope of avoiding heartbreak in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth, later restoring parity following the tiebreak. He traded breaks in a high-quality decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to become the third man to capture back-to-back Roland Garros titles this century after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten. 'He was born to play these kind of moments,' said Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. 'Every time we were in these situations, even when he was younger in the challengers … he always went for it.' Sinner was left to digest how he let slip a golden chance to win claycourt's blue riband event following hardcourt triumphs at the U.S. Open and Australian Open. Alcaraz fell to the red dirt before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the heaving stands to hug his team and celebrate. 'CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY,' the French Open posted on X. Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench as his rival rejoiced, and was gracious in defeat when he congratulated him during the trophy ceremony. 'We tried our best today, we gave everything … an amazing tournament even though it's very difficult now,' Sinner said. 'It's a big privilege for me to play here … I won't sleep very well tonight but it's okay.'
Daily Maverick
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Alcaraz saves three match points to stop Sinner and retain French Open crown
The 22-year-old showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes — the longest final at Roland Garros. Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink to outlast top seed Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday to retain his crown and cement his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland-Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torchbearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old Alcaraz saved three match points in the fourth set to continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory over the Italian. 'I want to start with Jannik. It is amazing the level you have,' said Alcaraz, only the second man in the professional era to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Roger Federer. 'Congratulations for an amazing two weeks. I'm pretty sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you. 'I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament and in other tournaments.' The duo, who have captured seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the men's tour, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes — the longest final at Roland Garros — soaking up the ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to Nadal's reign during his run of 14 titles. Tense start Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes, but was broken when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense first set following an unforced error by Alcaraz. Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set, and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes, trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier. An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak, but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down, battled hard in the hope of avoiding his first loss in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth set, later restoring parity via the tiebreak. He traded breaks in the decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to win the longest Paris men's final since tennis went professional in 1968, while Sinner had to digest a missed chance to add to his US and Australian Open wins after a doping case. Alcaraz fell to the ground before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him, and the Spaniard then ran to the stands to hug his team and celebrate. Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench, and was gracious in defeat. 'Carlos, congratulations on an amazing performance and an amazing battle. I'm happy for you. You deserve it,' he said. 'We tried our best today, we gave everything … an amazing tournament, even though it is very difficult right now. It is a big privilege for me to play here… I won't sleep very well tonight, but it is okay.' Five Slams Alcaraz has now won his five Grand Slam finals and handed Sinner his first defeat in a major final after the Italian claimed his first three at the Australian Open (2024 and 2025) and US Open (2024). Alcaraz thanked the crowd for their support, which he said helped him throughout the tournament. 'Then, Paris, guys, I mean, you have been a really important support to me since the first practice, since the first round,' he said. 'You were unbelievable. You were insane for me. I mean, I just can't, can't thank enough, you know, to you for the great support during the whole week, for today's match. 'For today's match, you were really, really important. You are in my heart, and you'll always be in my heart. So, thank you. Thank you very much, Paris. And see you next year.' Sinner was gracious in defeat. 'First of all, Carlos, congrats. An amazing performance, amazing battle, amazing job. I am very happy for you, you deserve it. It's easier to play than talking now,' said the 23-year-old Sinner, who was on a 20-match winning streak in the majors. The two finalists, who have won seven of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the tour, were locked in a fierce battle that mesmerised the 15,000 crowd. 'To my team, thank you so much for putting me in this position. We tried our best today. We gave everything we had. Some time ago, we would've signed to be here. Still an amazing tournament, even though it's very, very difficult right now,' said Sinner. DM
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Prince of Clay arrives as Alcaraz battles from the brink to retain French Open
Prince of Clay arrives as Alcaraz battles from the brink to retain French Open PARIS - Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink to outlast top seed Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday to retain his crown and cement his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old Alcaraz saved three match points in the fourth set to continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian's 20-match winning run at the majors. Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros - and soaked up the roaring ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to Nadal's reign during his run of 14 titles. "I want to start with Jannik. It's amazing the level you have," said Alcaraz, only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Swiss great Roger Federer. "Congratulations for an amazing two weeks ... I'm pretty sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you." "I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament." The duo, who have captured seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the men's tour, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s. Sunday's five-hour-plus fiesta was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved a match point en route to victory in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz matched Argentine Gaston Gaudio's 2004 French Open feat and Serbian Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon comeback in 2019. Playing his first slam after serving a three-month ban following a doping case, Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes. However, he was broken in the fifth game when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense first set following an unforced error by Alcaraz. ON THE ROPES Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier. An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down, battled hard in the hope of avoiding his first loss in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth set, later restoring parity via the tiebreak. He traded breaks in the decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to become the third different man to win back-to-back Roland Garros titles this century after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, while Sinner was left to digest how he let a golden opportunity to add to his U.S. and Australian Open wins slip through his fingers. Alcaraz fell to the ground before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the stands to hug his team and celebrate. "CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY," the French Open posted on X. Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench as his great rival rejoiced, and was gracious in defeat. "Carlos, congratulations on an amazing performance and an amazing battle," he said. "We tried our best today, gave everything ... an amazing tournament even though it is very difficult right now. It's a big privilege for me to play here ... I won't sleep very well tonight but it's okay." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Alcaraz saves three match points to stop Sinner and retain French Open crown
PARIS - Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink to outlast top seed Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday to retain his crown and cement his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old Alcaraz saved three match points in the fourth set to continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian's 20-match winning run at the majors. "I want to start with Jannik. It is amazing the level you have," said Alcaraz, only the second man in the professional era to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Roger Federer. "Congratulations for an amazing two weeks ... I'm pretty sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you. "I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament and in other tournaments." The duo, who have captured seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the men's tour, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros - soaking up the ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to Nadal's reign during his run of 14 titles. Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes, but was broken when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense first set following an unforced error by Alcaraz. Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier. An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down, battled hard in the hope of avoiding his first loss in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth set, later restoring parity via the tiebreak. He traded breaks in the decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to win the longest Paris men's final since tennis went professional in 1968 while Sinner had to digest a missed chance to add to his U.S. and Australian Open wins after a doping case. Alcaraz fell to the ground before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the stands to hug his team and celebrate. Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench, and was gracious in defeat. "Carlos, congratulations on an amazing performance and an amazing battle. I'm happy for you. You deserve it," he said. "We tried our best today, we gave everything ... an amazing tournament even though it is very difficult right now. It is a big privilege for me to play here... I won't sleep very well tonight but it is okay." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Otago Daily Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Alcaraz saves three match points to win French Open
Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink to outlast top seed Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday to retain his crown and cement his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old Alcaraz saved three match points in the fourth set to continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian's 20-match winning run at the majors. "I want to start with Jannik. It is amazing the level you have,"said Alcaraz, only the second man in the professional era to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Roger Federer. "Congratulations for an amazing two weeks ... I'm pretty sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you. "I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament and in other tournaments." The duo, who have captured seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the men's tour, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros - soaking up the ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to Nadal's reign during his run of 14 titles. Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes, but was broken when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense first set following an unforced error by Alcaraz. Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier. An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down, battled hard in the hope of avoiding his first loss in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth set, later restoring parity via the tiebreak. He traded breaks in the decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to win the longest Paris men's final since tennis went professional in 1968 while Sinner had to digest a missed chance to add to his U.S. and Australian Open wins after a doping case. Alcaraz fell to the ground before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the stands to hug his team and celebrate. Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench, and was gracious in defeat. "Carlos, congratulations on an amazing performance and an amazing battle. I'm happy for you. You deserve it," he said. "We tried our best today, we gave everything ... an amazing tournament even though it is very difficult right now. It is a big privilege for me to play here... I won't sleep very well tonight but it is okay."
