Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points before retaining the French Open title by defeating world No 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-2) in one of the greatest-ever Grand Slam finals.

The Spaniard showed incredible reserves of energy and willpower to win a five-hour 29-minute marathon and deny Italian Sinner a third consecutive Grand Slam title.

Instead Alcaraz claimed his fifth major crown at exactly the same age as his idol Rafael Nadal did, aged 22 years, one month and three days old.

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After receiving the trophy – not from Nadal but from 1999 champion Andre Agassi – Alcaraz said: “Jannik, it’s amazing the level you reach.

“To everyone who came from Murcia to support me, thank you. This trophy is yours also.

“Paris, you have been important support for me since the first practice in the first round, I can’t thank you enough. You will always be in my heart.”

It was Alcaraz’s fifth victory from his fifth final, which was the first at one of the majors to be fought out between two players born this century.

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It was also the first Grand Slam final meeting of the two young superstars of men’s tennis, the best players on the planet, who have now shared the last six major titles.

And it is one that will go down as a cast-iron Roland-Garros classic, a final for the ages, a high-quality, heavy-hitting marathon which the man from Murcia won.

Italian Sinner, on a 20-match winning streak at the Slams, looked poised to add the Paris title to his US and Australian Open crowns when he forged two sets ahead.

He had lost his previous four matches against Alcaraz – the most recent in the Rome final last month, his first tournament after serving a three-month doping ban.

But the 23-year-old had been almost untouchable in the French capital, dropping serve only three times before the final and saving 19 of the 22 break points he had faced.

By age 22, one month, and three days old

Rafael Nadal

Five Grand Slams 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

One Olympic gold medal 🥇

Carlos Alcaraz

Five Grand Slams 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

One Olympic silver medal 🥈

The second coming?

Henman: One of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen

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Speaking to TNT Sports, former British No 1 Tim Henman said: “When you’ve got the two top two going head to head, it doesn’t always live up to the hype, but that is one of the best, one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen.

“And to have it in a grand slam final is something special. Spare a thought for Jannik Sinner. He played some amazing tennis and got oh so close.”

John McEnroe claimed Alcaraz and Sinner would likely beat 22-time major winner Nadal at his peak, saying: “You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best.

“Do I think they’re going to reach 20, 24 [titles], either one of them? No, because that plateau is so hard.

“But these two guys right now, it’s like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I’ve ever seen.”

Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last SIX Grand Slams

Australian Open 2024 – Sinner

French Open 2024 – Alcaraz

Wimbledon 2024 – Alcaraz

US Open 2024 – Sinner

Australian Open 2025 – Sinner

French Open 2025 – Alcaraz

The two best players in the world

Sinner’s fast start

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Some loose hitting from Alcaraz gave Sinner a break in the first game of the third set, but perhaps being short of matches after his enforced absence was beginning to tell as last year’s winner clawed back the deficit to force a fourth.

That ended a run of 31 consecutive sets won by Sinner at Grand Slam tournaments, stretching back to the Australian Open fourth round.

With both men now playing at close to their top levels, it was Sinner who made the first move in the fourth set, breaking to love to lead 4-3.

Total points won

Jannik Sinner – 193

Carlos Alcaraz – 192

The comeback

Image: Alcaraz made a comeback of EPIC proportions on Court Philippe-Chatrier

Second seed Alcaraz, scrambling to cling on to his title, then somehow saved three championship points on his own serve, before incredibly digging even deeper to break back.

In the tie-break Sinner edged two points ahead but then started missing, while Alcaraz fired down back-to-back aces on his way to levelling the match.

Sinner had never before won a match lasting longer than four hours – mainly because he has never really had to – but he was guzzling the pickle juice at the changeover to try and find more energy.

But Alcaraz, having clinched an early break, served for the set only for Sinner to somehow chase down an outrageous drop shot to level the match again.

Fifth-set breaker

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A 10-point tie-break was needed to separate them, an early-evening shoot-out to decide the champion, and by now Alcaraz had his eye in.

A glorious winner, a drop-shot and volley and some wayward shots from Sinner helped him race ahead, and a final, spectacular forehand winner sealed an unbelievable victory.

Image: Sinner contemplates his five-set defeat to Alcaraz having had three championship points

Sinner said: “First of all, congratulations Carlos. It was an amazing performance from you again. It was an amazing battle.

“It is easier to play than to talk right now. Even though it is very difficult right now, it is okay. It is a big privilege for me to be here and to play here.

“For me, Paris is a really special place. I have achieved many great things here. I’m still happy with this one. It is an amazing trophy.

“I won’t sleep very well tonight but it is okay.”

Longest Grand Slam finals

5H 53M: Novak Djokovic bt Rafael Nadal – 2012 Australian Open

5H 29M: Carlos Alcaraz bt Jannik Sinner – 2025 French Open

5H 24M: Rafael Nadal bt Danill Medvedev – 2022 Australian Open

How the social media world reacted…

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Petchey: A ripple effect for tennis

Image: Mark Petchey called the final a ‘big win’ for tennis

Emma Raducanu’s coach Mark Petchey, told TNT Sports: “They’re two of the greatest athletes out there so they are capable of picking up those shots that are travelling at 85 mph and there are very few players out there who can actually defend aggressively.

“They’re not just defending to get the ball, they’re defending aggressively which is ultimately turning the points around and making them into the spectacle that we have. That will go down into the pantheon of great matches that we’ve had and we go forward.

“The great thing about this match is the ripple effect for tennis. We had it with the ‘Big Three’ [Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer] but the ripple effect, not only does it make the rivals around the ‘Big Two’ want to get better but as a sport as a whole, everyone wants to gravitate towards it. It is just a big win all round.”

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