Carlos Alcaraz rallied to upset Alexander Zverev in a five-set French Open final on Sunday, becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam trophy on all three surfaces. After four hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 21-year-old overcame cramping to win a thrilling match 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 after falling behind 2-1 in sets. Alcaraz adds the Roland Garros championship to his Wimbledon victory against Novak Djokovic last year and the 2022 US Open. He will compete in the Australian Open next year, hoping to become the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Fourth seed Zverev, who settled a court dispute in Germany two days ago over domestic violence charges, is still looking for his first major trophy.
He had also lost his only prior Slam final in five sets, squandering a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.
Zverev had great hopes of finally going over the line (he has also lost six Slam semi-finals), but Alcaraz was too strong in the crucial moments, tying their head-to-head record at 5-5.
Alcaraz stated before the final that he wanted to join the list of men’s tennis players from his country, including his idol Rafael Nadal, who have won the Roland Garros title, and he celebrated becoming the eighth Spanish champion by falling to the clay in astonishment.
