Alcaraz beats Sinner in longest French Open final to defend title

Bad starts in Grand Slam finals are nothing new for Carlos Alcaraz, yet he has regularly managed to find success through adversity.

It was Spaniard's second straight French Open title, which he won in similar fashion to the first. Alcaraz trailed 2-1 in sets to Alexander Zverev in last year's final, and come from behind to claim a third major title with a five-set win against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.

"When the situations are against you, then you have to keep fighting. It's a Grand Slam final, it's no time to be tired, no time to give up," Alcaraz said. "Do I enjoy that? The real champions are made in those situations."

In producing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament on Sunday, he emulated Djokovic's feat from the 2021 final at Roland-Garros – when the now 24-time major winner fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"Today it was all about the belief in myself," Alcaraz said. He became just the ninth player to rally from two sets down and win a Grand Slam final in the Open Era, which began in 1968. The first was Bjorn Borg in 1974 against Manuel Orantes at the French Open, where Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi achieved the same feat. Rafael Nadal also did so, at the Australian Open, and Sinner too.

It was the first time that Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final, but the fifth time in succession he has now lost to Alcaraz, who clinched the 20th title of his career at the age of 22.

It was also the longest-ever French Open final – five hours and 29 minutes – in the Open Era. After three hours and 43 minutes, Sinner had his first match point, but with just over five hours since the match began, Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 up.

The drama was still not over.

Sinner made a remarkable retrieve from yet another superb Alcaraz drop shot. At the very limit he could stretch to, Sinner glided the ball over the net, with the ball landing with the softness of an autumn leaf and out of Alcaraz's reach to make it 15-40.

When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, it was his turn to milk the applause and he was two points away from victory in the 12th game, with Alcaraz on serve and at 15-30 and at deuce.

Nonetheless, Alcaraz made a staggering cross-court backhand to make it 6-6 and force a tiebreaker, with the crowd going wild when Alcaraz's cross-court winner made it 4-0.

"Just amazing the support you have given me today," Alcaraz said. "During the whole tournament."

Alcaraz won the match with a superb forehand pass down the line, fell onto his back to celebrate, then rushed over to dance and hug the team members in his box.

"I'm very happy for you, and you deserve it, so congrats," the 23-year-old Sinner told Alcaraz. "It's an amazing trophy, so I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's okay."

In other action, Olympic gold medalists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won the women's doubles title for the first time.

The second-seeded Italian pair, runners-up at Roland-Garros last year, beat Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 on Sunday.

It was Errani's second French Open doubles title, and her sixth at a major tournament. The 38-year-old previously formed a highly successful partnership with Roberta Vinci, also winning trophies at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open.

"It's tennis, we never stop, every day," Errani said. "You just try to be focused every day, and maybe you are not enjoying 100 percent what is happening, because you cannot stop and feel it. But right now, I feel it, and I am trying to realize what we are doing is so big. Winning a Grand Slam is the best thing in the world."

No other Italians had won the women's doubles at Roland Garros since Errani teamed with Vinci in 2012.

Errani won two titles in Paris this year, also claiming the mixed doubles title with Andrea Vavassori.