Carlos Alcaraz rallied to upset Alexander Zverev in a five-set French Open final on Sunday, becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam trophy on all three surfaces.
After four hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 21-year-old overcame cramping to win a thrilling match 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 after falling behind 2-1 in sets.
Alcaraz adds the Roland Garros crown to the Wimbledon title he earned against Novak Djokovic last year and the 2022 United States Open.
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He will compete in the Australian Open next year, hoping to become the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Fourth seed Zverev, who settled a court dispute in Germany two days ago over domestic violence charges, is still looking for his first major trophy.
He had also lost his only prior Slam final in five sets, squandering a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.
Zverev had great hopes of eventually crossing the finish line — he has already lost six Slam semifinals — but Alcaraz proved too strong in crucial stages, tying their head-to-head record at 5-5.
Alcaraz stated prior to the final that he hoped to join the list of men’s players from his nation to win the Roland Garros title, including his idol Rafael Nadal, and he celebrated becoming the eighth Spanish champion by dropping to the clay with his head in his hands, stunned.