Carlos Alcaraz pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history on Sunday, defeating world number one Jannik Sinner in a dramatic five-set final to win the 2025 French Open.
The 22-year-old Spaniard came back from two sets down and saved three championship points before claiming a 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) victory at Roland Garros after a gruelling five hours and 29 minutes.
It was the longest men’s final in French Open history and earned Alcaraz his fifth Grand Slam title, keeping his perfect record in major finals intact.
Sinner, who had won 20 straight matches at Grand Slams, was just one point away from a third consecutive major title but couldn’t close out the match. The Italian had previously won the 2023 US Open and back-to-back Australian Open titles.
Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down before, dug deep to turn the match around in front of a packed crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The match was also the first ever Grand Slam final between two players born in the 2000s.
The win means Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man in history to win five Grand Slams, after tennis legends Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal. He has now defeated Sinner five times in a row and leads their overall head-to-head 8-5.
Their clash in Paris was also the second time they met this year, after Alcaraz beat Sinner in Rome shortly after the Italian returned from a three-month doping ban.
Alcaraz collapsed to the clay in celebration after the final point, having delivered a remarkable display of endurance and mental strength. He now adds the French Open to his growing list of major titles, confirming his status as one of the sport’s brightest stars.
Tennis fans around the world hailed the match as an instant classic — a fierce battle that may signal the start of a new rivalry for the future of men’s tennis.
