Alcaraz defeats Zverev to triumph in Roland Garros and enter all-surface elite
Carlos Alcaraz made a grand entrance into tennis history by winning his first French Open title and becoming the youngest man to win Grand Slams on all three surfaces with a nail-biting five-set victory over German Alexander Zverev on Sunday.
The 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 victory may not have been a classic, but the Spaniard demonstrated that he belonged among the elite by adding a third Grand Slam title to his impressive trophy cabinet, which already includes the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon titles.
Alcaraz became the seventh man to win a major on hard, grass, and clay courts, a feat that had eluded some of the game's greats, including American Pete Sampras, who has 14 major titles but never won at Roland Garros.
Alcaraz has won three Grand Slam finals at the age of 21, whereas Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic had to wait until their late 20s to master the sport's slowest surface.
"Since I was little kid, I was running from school to put on the TV to watch this tournament. Now I am lifting the trophy in front of all of you," said Alcaraz, who was described by Zverev as a "Hall of Famer" in his speech.
Sunday's defeat added to Zverev's frustration at Grand Slams, as the German has yet to win a title despite reaching the final four eight times.
"I'll be back next year," Zverev promised.
In the first men's Roland Garros final without a member of the Big Three - Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, or Federer - in two decades, Alcaraz and Zverev failed to impress, their lack of consistency leading to a disappointing performance.
Alcaraz often appeared to have the upper hand, only to lose it several times, but he eventually rose to the occasion against an increasingly frustrated Zverev, who entered the final riding a 12-match winning streak on clay.
The fourth seed has now lost both Grand Slam finals, including the U.S. Open decider four years ago, when he was two points away from defeating Dominic Thiem.
Alcaraz, who has previously struggled with nerves at Roland Garros, where his compatriot Nadal has won a record 14 titles, maintained his cool despite a few blips.
On a sun-kissed court Philippe Chatrier, Alcaraz slapped a forehand winner down the line to take an early break, only for Zverev, who defeated an ageing Nadal in the first round, to level at 1-1.
Alcaraz broke to love and held to lead 4-2 before Zverev saved a break point, but the Spaniard was a cut above, winning the set on his opponent's serve with a crosscourt forehand winner.
After six deuces, it took Alcaraz more than 10 minutes to win the first game of the second set.
The 21-year-old's unforced error rate increased, and Zverev broke for 3-2 before winning three consecutive games to level the match.
Alcaraz broke in the third set but remained inconsistent, and while serving for the set, the Spaniard made yet another string of errors, allowing Zverev to come back into the game.
The German took advantage of two break points to go ahead 6-5 and served it out to take the lead in the match.
In a see-saw battle, Alcaraz took an early lead in the fourth set, breaking for a 2-0 lead with an eye-catching passing shot and then again for 4-0 with a superb drop shot.
However, his level dropped again shortly thereafter, allowing Zverev to break back before Alcaraz summoned the trainer to massage his left thigh.
The Spaniard finished the set to force a decider, and Zverev's poor third game gave him an early advantage.
Alcaraz raised his game to save four break points in the next game and go up 3-1, but not before a contentious moment in which he sent down a second serve that was called out, only to have it overruled by the umpire after checks.
"There was some unlucky moments. I heard that at 2-1 the second serve was out. From the Hawk Eye data I saw that. I break back there, I have break chances and then in the next service game, a fifth set can go the other way," Zverev said.
"There's a difference whether you're down 3-1 in the fifth set or you're back to two-all. It's frustrating in the end, but it is what it is. Umpires make mistakes. They're also human and that's okay. But of course in a situation like that, you wish there wouldn't be mistakes."
Zverev, who was aiming to become the first German man to win a singles Grand Slam since Boris Becker in 1996, saw his chances dashed on the biggest stage yet again.
Alcaraz broke once more before serving out to win the title on his first match point.
"When you're playing a fifth set you have to give everything and you have to give your heart. In those moments, it's where the top players give their best tennis," Alcaraz said.
"I wanted to be one of the best players in the world, so I have to give extra in those moments, I have to show the opponent that I'm fresh, like we're playing the first game of the match."
SportsLigue