‘GREATEST EVER’: French Open ‘insanity’ as absurd comeback decides all-time thriller

‘GREATEST EVER’: French Open ‘insanity’ as absurd comeback decides all-time thriller

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One of the greatest ever comebacks ended with Carlos Alcaraz, at full stretch in his sixth hour against Jannik Sinner in a phenomenal French Open final, thumping a forehand that was heard around the world.

As tennis fans around the world rose in adulation, Alcaraz collapsed onto the clay as Sinner stood stricken and stunned at the net.

With a phenomenal flourish that furthered his legend, the Spaniard has just completed the improbable by overcoming three match points in the fourth set to defend his French Open title in the longest final ever played at Roland Garros.

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The first grand slam final between the two ascending champions lived up to its billing as the hottest ticket in world sport and far more as Alcaraz came from an improbable position to win an epic 4-6 6-7 (4) 6-4 7-6 (3) 7-6 (3) in 5hr 29min.

If it is not the greatest final played — and it would take an argument as strong as the will of both Alcaraz and Sinner to convince otherwise — it is in most firmly in the conversation. From the brilliance of the tennis to the superb sportsmanship of both men, this had everything.

As Alcaraz reflected on his triumph later, the Spaniard said that his conviction remained unwavering, despite facing a deficit of 3-5, 0-40 in the fourth set against the world No.1 with whom he has now shared the spoils at the past six grand slams.

the match are not finished until he win the last point.

Alcaraz claims 6-hour EPIC in final | 04:02

“It’s just one point away from losing the match, but a lot of times people came back from match point down in a final of a grand slam, or even in other matches,” Alcaraz said.

“So I just wanted to be one of those players who saved match point in the Grand Slam final and ended up winning. I just believed all the time.

“I never doubted myself, even through those match points down. I thought just one point at a time. Just one point and then after (that) one point and then (I would) try to save that game and keep believing. That’s what I thought.”

Believing in himself saw Alcaraz pull off the unbelievable a couple of hours later.

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PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 08: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a backhand at the net against against Jannik Sinner of Italy during the Men's Singles Final match on Day Fifteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 08, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

After embracing Sinner and summoning the energy to run into the stands to thank a team that includes his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, both finalists received another standing ovation as they received their trophies from American legend Andre Agassi.

“I want to start with Jannik. It is amazing the level you have. Honestly I know how hard you are chasing this tournament,” Alcaraz said.

“I am pretty sure you are going to be champion not once, but many, many times, and it is a privilege to be sharing the court with you. I am just really happy to make history with you in this tournament and other tournaments.”

Later in press, Alcaraz said that the quality of play from Sinner was “insane” and inspired him to greater heights.

“Honestly today, there were a few moments of the match that, I mean, the level was insane,” he said.

“(With) Jannik on the other side of the net playing such a great level, sometimes I thought, ‘What can I do? What can I do?’ (He was) moving unbelievable. (He was) hitting amazing shots. There were few moments of the match that he couldn’t miss any ball. I mean, that level, it was really, really high.

“I thought sometimes about the people (as well). I mean, I enjoyed some part of the match. I enjoyed to play such a high level against Jannik, having that battle. It was great. I thought that the people, they were enjoying a little bit (of it) as well. It was for me, honestly, it was unreal sometimes.”

The duo both had perfect records in grand slam finals heading into the decider, which is not surprising given their excellence.

Something had to give in their first meeting in a major final and it was Sinner who ultimately suffered his first loss from four outings, but only after Alcaraz was able to pull off his first ever comeback from a two set deficit.

“It is an amazing performance. An amazing battle. An amazing everything. You deserve this. Congrats,” Sinner said on the court.

“It is easier to play than talking now, but to my team, thank you so much for putting me in this position. We tried our best today. We gave everything we had. It is still an amazing tournament, even though it is very, very difficult now. But it is OK.”

Later, he admitted to have the triumph snatched from him stung more than he could have imagined, but noted that life goes on. Sinner hails from a regular family and noted his father was unable attend the thriller due to work commitments. Life would go on.

“My family, the people who know me, they are helping me, no? It’s a giving (sport) at times and sometimes (it) takes something, no? And now it’s my time to take something from the close people I have,” he said.

“They would for sure be happy that I come back home with my family, with everyone. We are just very simple family, you know. My dad was not here because he was working today. Nothing of our success changes the family.

“It was nice to see my mum here. And, yeah, I guess my dad, he was watching on TV — if he finished work. It’s okay. As I always said before my career started, I never would have thought to find myself in this position. (It) was not even a dream, because it was so far and I was not thinking about this.

“Now I find myself here, playing the longest match in the history of Roland Garros in a final. It hurts, yes, but in other ways you cannot keep going crying. It happens.”

Winner Spain's Carlos Alcaraz (R) poses with the trophy next to Italy's Jannik Sinner at the end of their men's singles final match on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)Source: AFP

To conjure this comeback against a champion of the quality of Sinner, who was seeking a third straight major and his first Roland Garros title, elevates the deed completed by Alcaraz to the highest of orders.

A couple of hours prior to this triumph, Alcaraz had been on the point of eclipse when facing three championship points.

Sinner had been extraordinary until that point, with the pressure he applied to the Spaniard unrelenting as he sought to win his first French Open and keep his Grand Slam dream alive. But against an artisan of clay, even the extraordinary did not prove enough.

A fortnight after Rafael Nadal was honoured for his exceptional feats in Paris, Alcaraz summoned the courage, brilliance and resilience of his idol and compatriot to pull off the unbelievable. In itself, the triumph is extraordinary as he matches a feat of the Spanish icon.

Alcaraz’s fifth grand slam title came at the same age, to the day, as Nadal clinched major No.5 against Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2008 in a final similarly compelling and one that sits in the conversation as an all-time epic.

“Honestly, if people put our match in that table, it’s a huge honour for me,” Alcaraz said.

“I don’t know if it is at the same level as those matches because those matches are, you know, the history of tennis and the history of the sport. So I let the people talk about it, if for them (it was) almost the same.

“But (I’m) just happy to put our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slams, in the history of Roland Garros. I (will) leave the discussion to the people.”

To ensure this match is considered among the best finals of all time, the 22-year-old held his nerve in testing rallies to reel off five straight points to keep his French Open title defence afloat and move to 4-5.

Sinner had served with ruthless efficiency over the past fortnight. But Alcaraz is on another level. With the crowd roaring in unabashed delight, the Spaniard broke for the sixth time in the match to draw level at 5-all.

“Carlos. Carlos. Carlos.” The chant for the Spanish superstar was deafening as the crowd urged Alcaraz on for more and more.

With a tiebreaker reached for the second time in the match, Sinner sizzled initially, only to be overwhelmed by the onslaught unleashed by an animated Alcaraz playing inspired tennis.

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 08: Jannik Sinner of Italy prepares to serve against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Men's Singles Final match on Day Fifteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 08, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Despite the decider now being in its fifth hour, Alcaraz bounded out of his chair to fist pump a crowd belting out the John Denver classic Sweet Caroline prior to the start of the deciding set.

Sinner, who manages his emotions like an assassin armed with a racquet, sat calmly in his courtside chair. But the mask must have been a front for the emotions swirling inside given what had just unfolded on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Thirty minutes earlier the Roland Garros Championship appeared his. He should have been holding the Champions Trophy aloft by now. Having already claimed the Australian Open, he should have been halfway to a Grand Slam this year. How could he not be thinking that?

Now he was in the dogfight of his life against an inspired opponent, the defending champion, a bullfighter in the tradition of Nadal, who also had the benefit of having a baying crowd behind him.

Sinner had been in a nightmare of similar proportions once before against Alcaraz when, at the US Open in 2022, the teenager saved a match point to beat him in five sets on the way to winning his first grand slam title.

That was a a triumph that propelled him to No.1 for the first time. This match was a step up on that classic, with the quality escalating despite the advancing hour.

But to his immense credit, Sinner continued to fight as the match somehow continued to rise in standard. The momentum was all Alcaraz but the dual-Australian Open champion strived valiantly to stay alive against the tide and had opportunities early on in the decider.

Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts after a point during his men's singles final match against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)Source: AFP

Similar to the match as a whole, the pulsating fifth set was full of drama, with both men producing scintillating winners and spectacular moments.

Strangled by Sinner’s weight of shot in the first two sets, Alcaraz was able to execute more of his flair from the third set onward and those flourishes came to the fore in the fifth set.

Time and again he drop shotted Sinner, who has never won a match extending beyond four hours and was only one month into his return from a contentious three month suspension.

This stretched the legs of the Italian who, having dropped serve in the opening game of the deciding set, was now being challenged to the extremes of his endurance.

To be fair, had it been anyone aside from Alcaraz on the other side of the net, the match would not have extended as long, nor would that unflattering record last any longer.

It proved far from a waltz to victory for Alcaraz in the decider, with Sinner firing winners from both wings and producing opportunities to level once again.

As the match time reached five hours, and shortly after Sinner clubbed another backhand to hold serve and move to 4-5, the DJ played the Queen classic We Are The Champions.

The two aspirants are and Sinner was indeed “fighting to the end”. Now the challenge was for Alcaraz to serve out the championship.

In a final as astonishing as this one, against a rival like Sinner, it was never going to be easy. And so it proved, with the world No.1 producing a phenomenal game to break back, in part due to a awesome drop shot played off an Alcaraz stopper. This drama? Too much.

Documentaries could be told about Alcaraz’s last service game as he sought to force a match tiebreaker, let alone the match itself.

The lunging squash defensive shot Alcaraz conjured off Sinner’s sizzling return at 5-6, 30-all was otherworldly. It should have been a winning return from Sinner, yet somehow Alcaraz got there and then whipped a backhand winner two shots later.Sinner’s response? A blasting backhand return that cleaned the back of the line. To force the deciding tiebreaker, Alcaraz dug deepest into his arsenal and whipped a backhand winner from a couple of metres behind the baseline past the advancing Sinner.

“The three match point ... those match points down were, honestly, they weren’t great points. It is great, honestly, that I saved match points but it (they weren’t) that good points (compared to) 6-5 in the fifth at 15-30 or 30-all, or advantage for me, 40-All.

“Those points I remember pretty clearly and honestly I still don’t know how I did it. I mean, it was balls on the line, slicing the line. He was dominating that game. Honestly, I still don’t know how I saved that game. Probably I would choose that game (as the key).”

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his men's singles final match against Italy's Jannik Sinner on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)Source: AFP

 Alcaraz began the match tiebreaker with two blazing forehand winners. On the fourth point he struck a lunging drive forehand winner to pass the Italian stricken at the net.

By the time they changed ends, Alcaraz had won the past eight points of the match and led 6-0. He whipped a backhand winner up the line to move to 7-0. At that point, Sinner paused for a moment with his hands on his hip. How could he not? No-one could be that good.

Sinner won a couple of points. Would this phenomenal final flip on its head once again? Not if Alcaraz had a say in it.

And then came the forehand. It brought an end to an absolute classic. But it confirms this could become an all-time rivalry.

“Every match that I’m playing against him is important, honestly. This is the first match in a Grand Slam final (but) hopefully not the last time. Because ... as I said many times, every time that we face against each other, we raise our level to the top,” he said.

“I think for the people and for the fans are important as well for our matches. If you want to win grand slams, you have to beat the best tennis players in the world. I think it feels much better when you face them in the final.

“I’m sure he’s going to learn from this match and he’s going to come back stronger the next time we are going to face against each other.

I’m pretty sure he’s going to make his homework. I’m pretty sure I’m going to try to learn from this match as well how I can be better, how I can, you know, tactically make damage in his game.

“I repeat: I’m not going to beat him forever. That’s obvious. I have to keep learning from the matches I played against him, and hopefully play more grand slam finals.”

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match of the French Tennis Open against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)Source: APSpain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his men's singles final match against Italy's Jannik Sinner on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)Source: AFP

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