French Open: Carlos Alcaraz rallies to defeat Jannik Sinner in record-long finale
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz celebrates a win over Italian Jannik Sinner in the 2025 French Open men's singles final Sunday at Roland-Garros in Paris. Photo by Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA-EFE
June 8 (UPI) -- Carlos Alcaraz dropped an initial two sets and faced triple championship point, but excavated energy to outlast Jannik Sinner in a record 5-hour, 29-minute French Open finale Sunday in Paris.
The match set a record as the longest French Open final and became the second-longest Grand Slam men's singles final in the Open Era, which started in 1968, trailing only a 5-hour, 53-minute 2012 Australian Open match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz fought off triple championship point in the fourth set of the epic 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory. The second-ranked Spaniard broke Sinner's serve seven times and amassed 70 winners in his fifth-consecutive victory over the top-ranked Italian.
"I didn't think about anything," Alcaraz said on the TNT and truTV broadcast. "Just point after point and putting my heart into it, giving all my energy to it. I just tried not to give up."
Alcaraz, who is now 13-1 in five-set matches, also improved to 1-9 after losing his first two sets. Sinner is now 0-6 in matches longer than four hours. Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last six men's singles Grand Slam crowns.
"I'm still happy with this one," said Sinner, who trailed 70-53 in winners. "It's an amazing trophy. I won't sleep very well tonight, but it's OK."
Sinner stretched court to its limits with his seemingly endless limbs while stepping close to the baseline to impose his power on Alcaraz early on. He fought off several Alcaraz break-point chances in the 1-hour, 4-minute first set. Sinner broke Alcaraz twice in the set, including for set point.
Sinner's serves boomed off his racket, while his wrist whipped sizzling returns en route to a 3-0 lead in the second set. He broke Alcaraz two more times in the set, which he won through a 7-4 tiebreak.
He looked destined to win his third-consecutive Grand Slam title when he broke Alcaraz again to start the third set.
"Vamos" chants then flowed around Court Philippe-Chatrier, hoping to inspire a rally from the Spaniard. He replied by mixing in devastating drop shots from awkward angles with daring returns, which appeared to clear the net by mere inches.
He harnessed the momentum by winning the next four games, including his third and fourth breaks of the Italian. Sinner went on to break Alcaraz in the ninth game, but the defending champion returned with a break in the 10th to snap Sinner's streak of 31-consecutive set victories at Grand Slams.
Alcaraz and Sinner exchanged holds through the first six games of the 1-hour, 9-minute fourth set. Sinner broke Alcaraz in the seventh game and held in the eighth for a 5-3 advantage.
Alcaraz then fought off three Sinner match point opportunities and rallied to win the ninth game. He broke Sinner in the 10th and held again in the 11th for a 6-5 advantage. Sinner answered with a hold to force another tiebreak.
Sinner earned the first two points of the tiebreak, but Alcaraz answered with a run of four-consecutive winners, including back-to-back aces. He then closed out the tiebreak to force a fifth set.
Alcaraz broke Sinner again to open the final set. The world's top two players continued to hold serve in the next eight games. Sinner broke Alcaraz in the 10th to tie the match at 5-5. He held in the 11th to take a 6-5 lead. But Alcaraz also held serve, forcing a mega-tiebreak.
Alcaraz bagged a mini-break to start the tiebreak. He parlayed the momentum into six more tiebreak triumphs for a 7-0 lead, which proved insurmountable for Sinner. Alcaraz finished the match by bending a forehand winner into the right corner.
Alcaraz cashed in for $2.8 million for winning his fifth career Grand Slam singles title. He is now a perfect 5-0 in career finals appearances, while Sinner dropped to 3-1. Alcaraz also snapped Sinner's 20-match winning streak in Grand Slams.
"It's the best Grand Slam match of my career," Alcaraz said. "I'm really proud and happy this happened."
The Wimbledon 2025 is the next Grand Slam on the tennis calendar. The grass-court major will be held from June 30 to July 13 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London.
Top tennis players compete at 2025 French Open
Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays against Mackenzie McDonald of the United States during their first-round match at the French Open at Stade Roland Garros in Paris on May 27, 2025. Djokovic won 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Photo by Maya Vidon-White/UPI | License Photo
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