The new Spanish teenage tennis sensation, Carlos Alcaraz, made the brilliant point of winning his first French Open trophy by busting Germany's Alexander Zverev in a grinding five-set marathon. The final scoreline read 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
By winning that, Alcaraz became the youngest person of all time to hold the three Grand Slam titles.
Third seed Alcaraz showed staggering levels of resilience and skill in the Parisian clay courts in four hours and 19 minutes of play—the longest final here in Paris since 1973. Although there were question marks over a right arm and a three-week competition headstart, he proved, winning 12 of the last 15 games, that he is one of the guys at the top table in tennis.
Both men started nervously, each dropping their first service games. Alcaraz soon found his rhythm, breaking Zverev three times to take the first set, 6-3. Zverev, who played in his second major final, improved in the second set with a first-serve success rate of 83% and winning 80% of those points to level the match at one set all.
In set three, Zverev would finally wrest the advantage as two breaks of the Alcaraz serve netted him a 7-5 scoreline. The German seemed to be firing up as he entered the fourth set after dominating the third. However, Alcaraz, a man renowned for his mental acuity, upped his game, dominating the fourth set 6-1 to send the match into the fifth and final set.
However, the biggest call of the match came in the final set with the Spaniard leading 2-1, 15/40, and a second serve. Initially called out, the chair umpire overruled for a let first serve. Alcaraz held his nerve and dug in for the break of serve, and with it, momentum shifted his way, closing out the set 6-2 for the title.
Alcaraz took the tough road to the final with a semi-final win over Jannik Sinner. That was his third consecutive season with a Grand Slam title, the previous one being at the 2022 US Open, and at Wimbledon in 2023.
Alcaraz now joins a list of notable Spanish champions, including his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who triumphed in 2003. At the same time, the win takes Alcaraz to 11 ATP Tour titles, and he still holds the title of the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings, a record he set in 2022.
Alcaraz went on to say, "It's just amazing to win here in Roland Garros. Alexander played an amazing match - it was a tough battle, and I had to dig in and stay focused, especially after losing that third set. This victory means a lot to me and my team, and I am excited for what the future holds."
Somehow less a loser today was Zverev, who, showing outstanding maturity, praised the tenacity and quality of Alcaraz. "Carlos played an incredible match today. It was a tough battle, and he deserved to win. I gave it my all, but he was just too good in the end," Zverev said.
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