Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he stunned Jannik Sinner to defend his French Open title.
In an extraordinary contest between the two best players in the world, Alcaraz battled back to stun Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in an instant classic.
At five hours and 29 minutes in length, it became the longest French Open final of the Open Era, eclipsing the record of four hours and 42 minutes from 1982, when Mats Wilander beat Guillermo Vilas.
It is also now the second-longest major final of the Open Era, full stop, with only Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s 2012 Australian Open final lasting longer.
Sinner was in the driver’s seat at two sets to love up and, leading 5-3 in the fourth set, spurned three championship points from 40-0 up on Alcaraz’s serve.
The Italian was unable to serve out the match, and ultimately his Spanish rival roared back to force a decider.
Alcaraz himself was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 up in the fifth, and was pushed to deuce serving to stay in the match down 5-6, though he dominated the deciding tiebreak.
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No man in the Open Era has saved three championship points in a Grand Slam final, and Alcaraz is just the third man to save at least one championship point and win a major final.
He follows Gaston Gaudio, who saved two against Guillermo Coria at the 2004 French Open, and Novak Djokovic, who saved two against Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2019.
“I want to start with Jannik. It is amazing the level you have,” said Alcaraz to his beaten rival in his on-court speech.
“Congratulations for an amazing two weeks, an amazing tournament. To you, to your team, the hard work that you put in every day, it is huge.
“Honestly, I know how hard you are chasing this tournament and every tournament. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be champion not once, but many, many times.
“It’s a privilege to share the court with you every tournament, making history with you. I’m just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament, in other tournaments.
“You are huge inspiration to everyone, to young kids, and to myself as well. Thank you to you for being a great inspiration. Good luck and all the best for what’s coming.
“This tournament for me is really special, I can’t wait to come here year after year.”
After his 2022 US Open win, 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon victories, and his Roland Garros triumph last year, Alcaraz has now claimed five Grand Slam titles in just 17 major appearances.
In the Open Era, only Bjorn Borg (six) had won more Grand Slam titles in so few Slams.
Alcaraz also becomes the first player this century outside of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer to win a major in at least four consecutive seasons.
He is also the first man since Nadal to successfully defend the French Open title, and is one of just three Spanish men to do so, joining Nadal and Sergi Bruguera (1993-94).
Read Next: The 6 men to win the French Open final from two sets down: Alcaraz joins Djokovic, Borg
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