Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his French Open men’s title on Sunday, defeating Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-set showdown to claim his second consecutive crown at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old Spaniard captured his fifth Grand Slam title in as many finals, pulling off one of the most dramatic comebacks in the tournament’s history. “I’m just proud. I’m just really, really happy,” Alcaraz said afterward, before turning to praise his opponent. “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 and make history together.”
Sinner, the world No. 1, came out strong, winning the first two sets 6-4, 7-6 (4). Alcaraz fought back to take the third 6-4, and mounted a remarkable rally in the fourth set, coming back from 3-5, 0-40 down to win the tiebreak 7-6 (3). In the deciding set, Alcaraz dominated a one-sided tiebreaker to seal the victory.
The match marked several milestones: it was Sinner’s first French Open final and his first loss in a Grand Slam final. With the win, Alcaraz and Sinner now share seven major titles between them—four for Alcaraz, three for Sinner. At 5 hours and 29 minutes, it also became the longest French Open final in the Open Era.
Despite the loss, Sinner extended his impressive run at the majors, having won both the U.S. Open and Australian Open, and riding a 20-match Grand Slam winning streak into the final.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, now boasts a tour-best 21-1 record on clay this season and has defeated the 23-year-old Sinner in their last four encounters.
