Carlos Alcaraz came from two sets down and saved three championship points to outlast Jannik Sinner in the longest ever French Open final.
Alcaraz claimed the title at Roland Garros for the first time last year, seeing off Alexander Zverev in five sets.
But he had to show close to unprecedented levels of stamina to prevent world number one Sinner from dethroning him in a final lasted five hours and 29 minutes, falling 24 minutes shy of the grand slam record set by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final.
Alcaraz fell to the ground in a mix of ecstasy and exhaustion after an extraordinary forehand sealed victory at the end of a championship tie-break, the Spaniard prevailing 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-2).
The longest Men's singles final in Roland-Garros history.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/wKx915GAIt
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
The win saw Alcaraz become the first man to triumph in a grand slam final after saving a match point since Djokovic against Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final.
Despite bursting into life in the third set to threaten an epic turnaround, Alcaraz appeared down and out in the fourth set when Sinner went 40-0 up at 5-3 to the good.
But Alcaraz again responded magnificently with his back against the wall and, after he won eight of the next nine points to get the set back on serve, he dominated the subsequent tie-break to send the match to a fifth set that would ensure its place among the pantheon of all-time great major finals.
Sinner looked out of answers when Alcaraz broke in the first game of the decider and then frustrated the Italian by saving a pair of break-back points in the fourth game. However, with the championship on Alcaraz’s racket, Sinner produced an astonishing act of defiance to level at 5-5, with an undulating epic sent to a match tie-break.
Both players had produced a scarcely believable display of shot-making and endurance, but it was Alcaraz who upped the ante in the tie-break, surging into a 7-0 lead and, after some final flickers of magic from Sinner, whipping a ferocious forehand off the wing to seal his fifth grand slam at the age of 22.
“It is a privilege to share a court with you in every tournament and in making history,” Alcaraz said to Sinner in his comments upon receiving the trophy.
But his part of an historic clash was cold comfort to Sinner, who was playing in just his second tournament following his return from a three-month suspension for failing two doping tests.
“It’s easier to play than talk now,” Sinner said. “I’m still happy with this [runner-up] trophy – I won’t sleep very well tonight but it is OK.”
