Carlos Alcaraz lifted his third Major title in Paris, the first at Roland Garros! The 21-year-old Spaniard overpowered Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a thrilling final, becoming the youngest player with the trophy at three different Majors!
Carlos missed his chances in the third set before making a fresh start in the fourth, just like against Jannik Sinner in the semi-final. The Spaniard brought the victory home in style, adding 2000 ATP points to his tally and becoming world no.
2 ahead of Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz grabbed nine games and suffered six breaks of serve, playing better in the closing stages and emerging as a deserved champion. Zverev served at 74% in the opening set but drew nothing from that.
He got broken three times for a slow start in his second Major final. The German wasted a game point in the first game of the encounter and got broken when the Spaniard landed two winners. Carlos could not cement the advantage in the second game, sending a backhand wide and suffering a break that brought his rival back to 1-1.
Alexander produced a hold at 15 in the third game before Carlos locked the result at 2-2 with a crafty drop shot winner.
The Spaniard stepped in on the return in the fifth game, forcing the German’s error for three break points and drawing another on the first for a break at love and 3-2.
Alcaraz produced a fine hold in the sixth game, cementing the advantage and moving 4-2 in front. Zverev struggled behind the initial shot in the seventh game, spraying a forehand error and offering Alcaraz two break points.
The German stayed focused and defended them, rattling off four points and reducing the deficit to 4-3. Alexander sprayed a forehand error in the eighth game, allowing Carlos to hold at 15 and increase the gap. World no. 4 served to stay in the set at 3-5 and placed a routine forehand long, offering the young gun a set point.
Alcaraz seized it with a forehand crosscourt winner, wrapping up the opener 6-3 in 43 minutes. Zverev served at 83% in the second set and dropped only six points in his games, keeping the pressure on his opponent.
Carlos could not follow that pace, dropping half of the points in his games and suffering two breaks from seven chances presented to Alexander.
The Spaniard experienced three break points in the first game. He denied them and closed the game with a backhand crosscourt winner, avoiding an early setback. Zverev held after a deuce in the second game, and Alcaraz closed the next one with a powerful serve, opening a 2-1 gap.
The German clinched the fourth game at love and secured a break in the next one when his opponent played a wild forehand. Alexander opened a 4-2 gap with a hold after a deuce and made another push on the return in the next one.
Carlos squandered a 40-15 lead in the seventh game and faced two break points. The young gun hit a double fault on the second, falling 5-2 behind and allowing Zverev to serve for the set in game eight. Alexander presented a hold at love with a forehand winner, leveling the overall score after an hour and 35 minutes.
The third lasted over an hour, and Carlos squandered the advantage, with Alexander rattling off five games from 2-5 to move closer to his first Major crown!
The Spaniard secured the first game with a drop shot winner before the German leveled the score at 1-1. Alcaraz painted a forehand down the line winner in the third game, and Zverev responded with an ace down the T line in the next one for 2-2.
Carlos held after a deuce in the fifth game and landed a volley winner in the next one for three break points. The German hit a forced error right after the serve, experiencing a break at love and finding himself 4-2 behind.
Carlos faced issues behind the initial shot in the seventh game, playing against three break points and saving them, holding after nearly nine minutes and moving 5-2 in front. The young gun served for the set at 5-4 and played a couple of terrible shots, losing serve after Zverev’s backhand winner and sending momentum to the other side.
The German held at love for 5-5 and made another push on the return in game 11. The Spaniard netted a routine backhand to drop serve for the second straight time and fall 6-5 behind.
Zverev served for the set in game 12 and missed a set point after a backhand mistake. Alexander saved a break point with a service winner and wrapped up the set with a forced error after an entertaining point, forging two sets to one advantage after two hours and 40 minutes.
The German lost the ground behind the official shot entirely in the fourth set, losing serve three times in a row and allowing the Spaniard to force a decider in style. After dropping five straight games, Carlos needed a good start, and he held at 15 in the first game.
The younger player placed a crafty forehand down the line winner in game two, securing a break and moving 2-0 in front. Alcaraz held at love for 3-0 and made another push on the return in the next one.
Carlos landed a drop shot winner for a break at 30, opening a 4-0 advantage and moving closer to a decider.
Zverev pulled one break back in game five, and Alcaraz received a medical timeout on his left leg during the break. Carlos grabbed his third straight game after Alexander’s terrible forehand, moving 5-1 in front and serving for the set.
The Spaniard played against three break points in the seventh game, denying them and wrapping up the set after the German’s wayward drop shot, taking the set 6-1 and forcing a decider after three hours and 23 minutes. Zverev held in the opening game of the fifth set with a smash winner before Alcaraz leveled the score at 1-1 with a service winner in game two.
Alexander hit a double fault in the third game and offered his rival three break points. He sprayed a backhand error on the second, falling 2-1 behind and finding himself in a tough position.
Alcaraz faced issues behind the initial shot in the fourth game, with four break points up for grabs for Zverev.
The young gun kept his composure and denied them, producing a monumental hold with a drop shot winner and forging a 3-1 advantage. Alexander moved 40-15 in front in the fifth game before facing a break point after Carlos’ backhand down the line winner.
The German saved it with a backhand crosscourt winner and held with another, remaining within one break deficit. Alcaraz failed to convert a game point in the sixth game and faced a break point after a forced error. The Spaniard saved it with a serve & volley combo and held on his third game point for a massive 4-2 advantage.
Carried by this boost, Carlos landed a cracking backhand crosscourt winner in the seventh game, earning three break points. The young gun cracked a forehand down the line winner, earning a break at love and serving for the title at 5-2. Alcaraz held at 15, sealing the deal and celebrating his third Major title at 21!
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