Carlos Alcaraz has become the first player in the Open Era to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces before their 22nd birthday after ousting Alexander Zverev in a marathon final at the French Open
The Spanish would No.3 battled his way to a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, victory after more than four hours of rollercoaster tennis that featured 15 breaks of serve. It is the fifth time Alcaraz has beaten Zverev in their 10 Tour-level meetings and he continues his unbeaten record in major finals.
In his latest match, he secured victory by winning 65% of his first service points and hitting 52 winners. Alcaraz has now won 11 out of 12 five-set matches he has played so far in his career.
“My team have been incredible the last month,” said the new champion.
“We were struggling a lot with the injury. Coming back from Madrid, I didn’t feel well. Coming here and not practicing too much on the court. I’m grateful to have the team that I have. I know everyone in my team is giving their heart to help me improve. I call this a team but it’s a family.
“I have loved to have part of my family here. My Mum, my Dad, my Brother, I have loved having you here. All of the support you have given to me since being a little kid. I used to watch this tournament on the TV and now I’m holding the trophy.“
In what was the first title match between two players seeking their maiden French Open title since 2016, nerves were visible from the onset. Both men started the match by losing their serves after producing a series of costly mistakes. Alcaraz was the first to settle as he mixed up the pace of the ball to draw errors from his opponent. He was on the verge of claiming a 5-2 lead in the opener but failed to convert two break points against Zverev, missing a forehand shot and then hitting a backhand shot into the net. Despite the blip, he still claimed the opening set with relative ease by firing a cross-court winner that drew loud cheers from the crowd.
Losing the first set is nothing new for Zverev, who had to come back from behind in two out of his six previous matches. He managed to turn his fortunes around in the second frame by increasing his aggression and waiting for errors to come off of Alcaraz’s racket. Drawing visible frustration from the former world No.1 who lost five games in a row as Zverev drew level.
The encounter resembled a boxing match with each player inflicting blows. Alcaraz looked as if he was going to storm through the third set after breaking the German to love and then saving a trio of break points in the following game to move ahead 5-2. However, he faltered at the worst moment which opened the door for a determined Zverev to work his way back to 5-5. The Spaniard continued to misfire on the court, as his nemeses snatched the lead.
Emulating his semi-final clash against Jannik Sinner just two days ago, Alcaraz battled back despite taking multiple medical time-outs for treatment on his left leg.
After battling through the fourth set by breaking his rival three times in a row, he got off to the perfect start in the decider. A nightmare error-stricken service game from Zverev enabled Alcaraz to secure the early break. Then in the following game, he received a stroke of luck when at 15-40 down a second serve called out was overruled by the umpire. Although a TV visual reported it being out by. Alcaraz went on to hold serve before storming to victory. Closing the match out with a wide forehand shot that Zverev failed to return over the net.
“I want to congratulate Sascha for a great tournament,” Alcaraz said to his rival. “Unbelievable the level you are playing and the work you are putting in every day. Everything you have been through the last years in this court. I’mpretty sure you will win Slams and this tournament very, very soon so keep going and congratulations.
The defeat is a bitter pill for Zverev to swallow who continues his quest for a first Grand Slam title. At the 2020 US Open, he led Dominic Thiem by two sets before losing in five.
“Carlos, third Grand Slam, 21-years-old, it’s incredible. You’ve won three different ones, you are already a hall-of-famer. An incredible player and this is not the last time you are going to win this.” Said Zverev.
“To my team as well, thank you for not only last the two weeks but the long journey we had since the injury I had on this same court. We were close today but hopefully one day we will be able to hold this trophy together.
Alcaraz is the eighth male player from his country to win Roland Garros.
