PARIS — Bad starts in Grand Slam finals are nothing new for Carlos Alcaraz, and each time it’s happened he has won the tournament anyway.
But not in such dramatic style as Sunday’s French Open final, when the Spaniard rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2), for his fifth major title in as many finals.
It was Alcaraz’s second straight French Open title with a comeback, after trailing 2-1 in sets to Alexander Zverev in last year’s final, and a third major title from behind, following his five-set win against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.
“When the situations are against you, then you have to keep fighting. It’s a Grand Slam final, it’s no time to be tired, no time to give up,” Alcaraz said. “Do I enjoy that? The real champions are made in those situations.”
In producing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament Sunday, he emulated 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.
“Today it was all about the belief in myself,” Alcaraz said.
He became just the ninth player to rally from two sets down and win a Grand Slam final in the Open Era, which began in 1968. It was the first time that Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final but the fifth time in succession he has lost to Alcaraz, who clinched the 20th title of his career at the age of 22.
It was also the longest French Open final — 5 hours, 29 minutes — in the Open Era. It was so tight that Sinner won 193 points, Alcaraz 192.
It might not have been close to those numbers.
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.
The drama was still not over.
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.
“Just amazing the support you have given me today,” Alcaraz said. “During the whole tournament.”
Alcaraz won the match with a superb forehand pass down the line, fell onto his back to celebrate, then 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.”
