Spaniard becomes third man in Open Era to save championship point, win major final

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 unleashed a screaming forehand passing shot down the line on the dead run with Sinner unable to do anything but watch the ball fly by and into the court, inside the singles line.

“I just want to say thank you for everything to my team and family;” said Alcaraz. “I have the privilege to be able to live great things with you. I was lucky to have a lot of people who came from Murcia, from home, to support me. It is just amazing support you gave me today, during the whole two weeks, [including] the people who weren’t able to come but are at home. Thank you very much and this trophy is yours as well, so thank you.” 

Alcaraz collapsed to the ground following his astonishing victory before he embraced Sinner, showing the mutual respect the pair has for each other. The 22-year-old now holds a remarkable 13-1 fifth-set record. In stark contrast, Sinner fell to 6-10 in fifth sets and remains winless in matches extending beyond three hours and 50 minutes (0–7).

“First of all, Carlos, congrats. An amazing performance, an amazing battle, amazing everything,” said Sinner at the trophy ceremony. “To you and your team, amazing job. I’m very happy for you and you deserve it.

“It’s easier to play than talk now. Obviously, to my team: Thank you so much for [helping to put] myself in this position. We tried our best today, gave everything we had. Some time ago, we would have signed to be here, so still an amazing tournament even though it’s very difficult for now.”

The victory marked Alcaraz’s Tour-leading 37th win of the season and he extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against Sinner to 8-4. Alcaraz has now won the pair's past five meetings and the Spaniard also preserved his unblemished record in Grand Slam finals (5–0). With his victory, he became the third-youngest man in history to reach the five-major milestone, trailing only Bjorn Borg (aged 21) and Nadal (aged 22).

Two-Set Comebacks In Grand Slam Finals

 Result  Tournament
 Bjorn Borg def. Manuel Orantes  1974 Roland Garros
 Ivan Lendl def. John McEnroe  1984 Roland Garros
 Andre Agassi def. Andrei Medvedev  1999 Roland Garros
 Gaston Gaudio def. Guillermo Coria  2004 Roland Garros
 Dominic Thiem def. Alexander Zverev   2020 US Open
 Novak Djokovic def. Stefanos Tsitsipas   2021 Roland Garros
 Rafael Nadal def. Daniil Medvedev  2022 Australian Open
 Jannik Sinner def. Daniil Medvedev  2024 Australian Open
 Carlos Alcaraz def. Jannik Sinner  2025 Roland Garros

Alcaraz arrived in Paris riding high after capturing ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome. By adding a second Roland Garros trophy to his growing collection, he joins an elite group of Thomas Muster (1995) and Nadal (2005-08, ’10, ’12-13, ’17-18) as the only players since 1990 to win multiple Masters 1000 titles on clay and Roland Garros in the same season. He was forced to withdraw from his home Masters 1000 event in Madrid due to an adductor injury, but bounced back to play some of the best tennis of his career.

The Spaniard has now won 20th tour-level titles, making him the first player born in the 2000s to reach the milestone.

Sinner, who was bidding for his second title of the season and 20th overall, had his own piece of history in sight. After capturing the Australian Open in January, the 23-year-old was seeking to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Grand Slam titles.

The Italian had defeated three-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, but could not quite find a way past Alcaraz. It is the first time Sinner has lost a major final, with the Italian holding a 3-1 record. The 1976 champion Adriano Panatta remains the only Italian man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy in the Open Era.

Despite the loss, Sinner retains his position atop the PIF ATP Rankings with a healthy lead of 2,030 points. As defending champion, Alcaraz was unable to add points. However, Sinner gained 500 points because he lost in the semi-finals last year (also to Alcaraz).

“It is amazing the level you have and congratulations for an amazing two weeks,” said Alcaraz, turning to his friend and rival Sinner. “To you and your team, I know the hard work you put in every day. It is huge. I know how hard you are chasing this tournament and every tournament.

“I’m pretty sure you are going to be champion, not once but many, many times. It is a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you… You are a huge inspiration for the young kids, for everyone, for myself as well I have to say. Thank you for being such a great inspiration, so good luck and all the best for what is coming.”

In an engaging first set, there were 11 break points across the 10 games, with eight saved. Sinner found his range as the set went on, with his relentless baseline ball-striking and aggressive court position rushing Alcaraz, who received a medical timeout at 4-5 after clay blew into his eye. Following the stoppage, Sinner came out and broke the Spaniard’s serve to seal the opening set on his first set point after 63 minutes.

Sinner continued to play proactively at the start of the second set, frequently gaining the first blow in the baseline rallies to race 3-0 ahead. From 5-2, the Italian looked on course to move two sets ahead but Alcaraz increased his aggression on return and enjoyed more success when moving forward to rally to 5-5. From there, Sinner showed why he’d won 47 of his past 49 matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The top seed kept his composure, blocked out the crowd's support for Alcaraz and continued to hit with relentless depth, winning the tie-break to move into a two-set lead.

It All Adds Up

Alcaraz did not fade in the third set, though. He stood closer to the baseline to rush Sinner, who had broken in the opening game to lead by two sets and a break. Alcaraz gained the decisive break of the set in the 10th game, striking a number of stunning forehand winners to keep his chances alive.

Alcaraz then battled from 3-5, 0/40 in the fourth set to stay in the clash. Alcaraz saved the first championship point when Sinner fired his forehand on the run just long. Sinner then missed a second-serve return and could only find the net on the forehand during a baseline exchange. After saving all three championship points, he broke Sinner’s serve in the next game and then powered through the tie-break to force a fifth set.

Alcaraz looked on the verge of victory himself when serving for the match at 5-4, but he was unable to close out. Sinner broke back, but then the Spaniard hit a purple patch in the fifth-set tie-break, crushing a number of stunning winners that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. The previous-longest Roland Garros final came between Mats Wilander and Guillermo Vilas in 1982, when Wilander won after four hours and 42 minutes. Alcaraz's victory against Sinner crushed that record by 47 minutes.

Did You Know?
Alcaraz and Sinner have now combined to win each of the past six Grand Slam titles. It is also the first time Alcaraz has comeback from two sets down to win.