In the longest final in the Open Era at Roland Garros and the second-longest final in tennis history, Carlos Alcaraz reigned supreme at the 2025 French Open. Five hours and 29 minutes after first-ball, the 22-year-old Spaniard recovered from a two-sets-to-love deficit to overcome World No. 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in one of the greatest matches in the history of the sport.
Alcaraz became just the fourth French Open champion to stave off match points in the final, and the first since Gastón Gaudio in 2004. The title is his second at Roland Garros and fifth major overall, putting himself in the elite company of only 15 men to win at least five Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era. However, he stands alone as the only player to win five titles by age 22 (and he still has three more opportunities to add to this total).
Alcaraz achieves the improbable
From the first ball of the 2025 French Open on May 25, this was the matchup all tennis fans wanted to see on championship Sunday. The duo combined to win the previous five majors and have established themselves on an upper-echelon unmatched by the rest of the tour. If the first game of the match was any indication of how this one would play out, we were in for a treat.
In a 12-minute game to open the match, Sinner saved three break points to get us off and running. Alcaraz saved a break point of his own in the second game, and Sinner saved two more in game number three. It was the Spaniard who capitalized first, breaking the Italian in the fifth game of the first set to take a 3-2 lead.
However, this is seemingly where the match flipped.
Sinner nudges in front
Sinner broke back immediately, notching the first set up at three. He went on to break Alcaraz as the Spaniard served to stay in the first set at 4-5. It was the 30th consecutive set the Italian had won at a slam.
Sinner strikes first, takes the lead 💫#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/4hxtmkG84j
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
He carried this momentum into the second, holding serve in the first game and breaking Alcaraz in the second. The two held serve over the next six games, as Sinner stepped up to the line at 5-3 looking to serve himself to a two-set-to-love lead.
It was Alcaraz who raised his level of play, securing the break back and consolidating for 5-5. The two would find themselves in a second-set tiebreak where the Italian held his nerve to take a 6-4 7-6(4) lead, just one set away from a maiden French Open title.
Sinner immediately broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, with not much pushback from the Spaniard. It looked like the beginning of the end. However, like we have seen so many times before, the 22-year-old found a different gear.
Alcaraz finds his form
In a grueling second game of the set, Alcaraz broke back. He consolidated, added another break, and consolidated again, flipping the scoreline to 4-1. Alcaraz served for the third set at 5-3 but unwound a bit, allowing the Italian to get back on serve. Not to be undone, the Spaniard bounced back immediately with a break at love to secure the third set. It was the first set Sinner had dropped at a slam since the fourth round of the Australian Open.
SET 3 IS FOR ALCARAZ 🇪🇸#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/4GZN4NHDJh
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
The early part of the fourth set was strictly business for both players. It seemed as if the men, despite already spending three hours on-court, were feeling each other out.
Alcaraz, serving at 3-3, once again became a bit loose. Sinner broke the Spaniard at love thanks to three unforced errors from Alcaraz. The 23-year-old Italian was just two games away from glory in Paris. However, if the reigning champion was to relinquish his title, he was going to go out on his own terms. Alcaraz raised the aggression as he looked to get the break back, but it seemed too little, too late for the reigning champion.
The improbable match point saves
Serving at 3-5, Alcaraz fell behind 0-40, setting up three match points for the Italian. Like Houndini himself, the Spaniard fought off all three match points (via three Sinner unforced errors). In fact, down 3-5, 0-40, Alcaraz won 13 of the following 14 points to push himself to a 6-5 lead in the fourth. The crowd was clearly in his corner, hoping to push this battle to a fifth and final set.
ALCARAZ STAYS ALIVE#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/MYz9GhQFHy
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
Sinner weathered the storm and held to force a fourth-set tiebreak. However, after winning the first two points of the breaker, the Italian could not match the level of his counterpart. Alcaraz, brimming with confidence, claimed the fourth set 7-6(3). Although he had never before won a match in which he fell two sets down, Alcaraz came into this match with a 12-1 record in five-setters.
Given what had just transpired and Alcaraz’s history in long matches, the Spaniard was in firm control despite the scoreline suggesting he and Sinner were knotted at two sets.
Seemingly rattled, Sinner gave away the first game of the fifth set that culminated in a 22-shot rally for Alcaraz to secure the break, in which the Italian pulled up lame chasing down a drop shot. Now in firm control of a potential fifth Grand Slam title, Alcaraz quickly consolidated.
The improbable 2.0
Despite showing signs of physical and mental fatigue, the World No. 1 was not going down without a fight. With Alcaraz serving at 2-1, the Italian dug incredibly deep in an attempt to rally his way back into this match. In a 10-minute game where Sinner got a look at two breakpoints, Alcaraz buckled down and held for 3-1.
Trailing by a break, Sinner battled valiantly in the back half of the fifth set. Although unable to break through, he came up with winner after winner to force Alcaraz to serve out the championship at 5-4.
The Italian finally found his answer.
JANNIK SINNER GIVING IT EVERYTHING 🗣️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/VlnvzCxE1K
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
There was no other way to end this match than a fifth-set tiebreak, with both Sinner and Alcaraz playing at levels unachievable by mere mortals.
Alcaraz ended the breaker before it even started, jumping out to a 7-0 lead via three phenomenal winners and a few forced errors from the Italian. The Spaniard was playing his best tennis nearly five-and-a-half hours into the French Open final.
The Spaniard won his fifth Grand Slam title in the only way he knows: with an improbable forehand winner. Alcaraz secured victory from the jaws of defeat, conquering World No. 1 in a match that will be etched in the history books.
CARLOS ALCARAZ DID THE IMPOSSIBLE 🤯🏆#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/qUggO9zUi2
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – Imagn Images
