In what was seen as a massive showdown between the top two players in the tennis world, Carlos Alcaraz shines bright on the big stage after a huge rally in the final three sets to beat world no. 1 Jannik Sinner and close out a five-hour affair in the final of the French Open. It took five sets for the Spanish star to bring the house down with a strong finish.

If Alcaraz was going to get his fifth major title, it had to be in dramatic fashion as he had to overcome a two-set deficit to begin the final against Sinner. He is now the third man in the Open Era to save at least one championship point before winning a Grand Slam title. Fans were given a massive treat of a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), and 7-6 (10-2) showdown all the way to the finish.

Fans at the Court Philippe-Chatrier echoed for most of the night, and Paris definitely had the crowd rocking when Alcaraz turned what was expected to be a breeze from Sinner, who also eliminated Novak Djokovic in the semis, which helped him nearly even the early odds of the game. Alcaraz showed his grit, and now he stands strong with a triumphant finish.

A Slugfest of a Showdown

In a best of three series, players who go up 2-0 eventually end up winning the whole match. That was not the story in this battle between the top two players of the ATP Tour. After Sinner went up 2-0, Alcaraz went on to knock up three set wins of his own and finished the final set with a thrilling flurry of volleys.

“I just want to say thank you for everything to my team and family;” said Alcaraz. “I have the privilege to be able to live great things with you. I was lucky to have a lot of people who came from Murcia, from home, to support me. It is just amazing support you gave me today, during the whole two weeks, including the people who weren’t able to come but are at home. Thank you very much and this trophy is yours as well, so thank you.”

This so-called “match of the year” hit its peak in the fourth set with the two stars trading blows, and it picked up well once more heading into the fifth set. Alcaraz served up a promising rally to save three championship points on serve before finally breaking up the momentum and taking over.

The Final Moments

In the end, it was decided by a fifth-set tie, and the Spanish star pulled away to defend his Roland Garros title. Alcaraz’s screaming forehand passing shot down the line on a dead run, and Sinner could do nothing but watch as the ball blew past him.

Alcaraz went on to collapse on the ground and was already in tears after he went on to win. He later stood up with a lot of dirt in his back before embracing Sinner – a show of mutual respect that the pair brings to the table. The Spanish star now stands a 13-1 record in the fifth set, which shows his dominant touch in the clutch.

This victory marks the 37th win of Carlos Alcaraz in the whole season, and he also moves to 8-4 in his head-to-head series against Sinner. What a performance indeed.