Carlos Alcaraz captured his fifth major title in dramatic fashion on Sunday at Roland Garros, where he saved three championship points to overcome rival Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) and become the third man in the Open Era to save at least one championship point en route to a Grand Slam trophy.
The final was the latest and most electrifying chapter in one of tennis’ most captivating modern rivalries. Alcaraz and Sinner, who first faced off at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris in 2021, had never before met in a major final. Their long-awaited showdown didn’t just deliver, it made history, turning into the longest Roland Garros final on record at five hours and 29 minutes.
Alcaraz joined Gaston Gaudio (2004 Roland Garros vs. Guillermo Coria) and Novak Djokovic (2019 Wimbledon vs. Roger Federer) in saving championship points in a Slam final and also became the ninth man in the Open Era to rally from two sets down to win a major final.
The match of the year hit fever pitch late in the fourth set and again in the closing stages of the fifth set. Facing defeat at 3-5, 0/40 in the fourth, Alcaraz summoned his trademark grit to save three championship points on serve and then broke Sinner in the next game to completely shift the momentum.
With the deafening roar of Court Philippe-Chatrier echoing into the Paris night, the 22-year-old showed his resolve once more in the final set. After failing to serve out the match at 5-4, Alcaraz regrouped for one final push. In the first Roland Garros final ever decided by a fifth-set tie-break, the Spaniard delivered under pressure, becoming just the third man this century to successfully defend the Roland Garros crown, joining Gustavo Kuerten and Rafael Nadal.
After a five-hour slugfest, Alcaraz saved his best tennis for the final tie-break. With pressure at an incredible high, the Spaniard hit four winners, including one on championship point, when he