Carlos Alcaraz Defends French Open Title in Epic Comeback Against Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old Spanish world No. 2, staged one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history to defeat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) in the French Open 2025 men’s final on June 8, securing his fifth Grand Slam title and second Roland Garros crown. The match, lasting five hours and 29 minutes—the longest French Open final ever—saw Alcaraz rally from two sets down and save three championship points at 3-5, 0-40 in the fourth set, per The Athletic.
Sinner, 23, dominated early with his laser-guided forehand and 66% first-serve point win rate, winning 32-14 on points under four shots, per The Athletic. However, Alcaraz’s variety—drop shots, lobs, and a devastating forehand—disrupted Sinner’s rhythm, leading to 79 unforced errors for Alcaraz but 70 winners, including a screaming forehand passing shot to clinch the final tiebreak 10-2, per ATPTour.com. Sinner, fatigued after a fifth-set cramp and pickle juice remedy, fell to 0-7 in matches over four hours, per Yahoo Sports.
Alcaraz, now 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, became the third-youngest man to win five majors, trailing only Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal, per ESPN. His 13-1 fifth-set record and 9-4 head-to-head lead over Sinner, including five straight wins, cement his clay-court dominance, per BBC Sport. Post-match, Alcaraz credited his grandfather’s “3C” mantra—*cabeza, corazón, cojones*—and Nadal’s comeback spirit, per Sportskeeda.com. Sinner, gracious in defeat, said, “It was an amazing battle,” despite the heartbreak of ending his 20-match Grand Slam win streak, per Sky Sports.
The match, hailed as an “all-time classic” by Mats Wilander on TNT Sports, marked the first Grand Slam final between players born in the 2000s, signaling a new era, per BBC Sport. Fans on X, like @atptour, called it “absolute cinema.”
