Carlos Alcaraz performed a miraculous comeback to win the French Open at Roland Garros for the second year running, defeating Jannik Sinner in five sets on Sunday. The 22-year-old saved three match points at one stage, with his odds of victory dropping to +6500 at that point in the fourth set.
Some on social media likened this feat to the New England Patriots coming back from being 28-3 down in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI to ultimately defeat the Atlanta Falcons.
the longest French Open final ever at five hours and 29 minutes
Alcaraz is only the third player to win a Grand Slam in the modern era after saving a championship point. Sinner looked visibly shaken after Alcaraz closed off the match in a tie-break, bringing to an end the longest French Open final ever at five hours and 29 minutes.
Sinner hadn’t dropped a set on his way to the final, only to become undone in the final. The rivalry with the pair will be welcomed by tennis fans who’ve said goodbye to stars like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray in recent years. Novak Djokovic also hinted that this could have been his last French Open after bowing out by losing to Sinner in the semi-final.
Alcaraz moves onto five career Grand Slam titles, putting him two ahead of Sinner. Attention now turns to Wimbledon, which starts on June 30, where Alcaraz is seeking his third consecutive victory in the competition.
