World number one Jannik Sinner rued his missed chances after letting three championship points slip through his fingers in a five-set defeat by Carlos Alcaraz. Coming back from the brink after almost letting go of his spot as the defending champion, Alcaraz rose from the ashes. One of the great comeback in French Open history, this was the longest final played on the Parisian dirt on Sunday, June 8. It lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes.
After claiming the title of the French Open 2025, the Prince of Clay kept his crown and fortified his standing in Roland Garros’ post-Rafal Nadal era. The exciting rivalry between world no. 1 Jannik Sinner and no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, they have won the last six Grand Slam titles combined.
Filled with punishing baseline rallies, exquisite drop shots, and brilliant passing shots, the air had a breath of thrill in Court Philppe. This loss however pinched most after the match took a rather dramatic turn after the Italian top seed cinched the title till the end of the fourth set. Alcaraz clawed back to victory after making history to play the longest final in the French Open history.
Retaining his rank as No.1, Sinner told Alcaraz during the ceremony, “It is a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.”
Sinner’s flawless night, Alcaraz’s second victory
The momentum was made and Sinner was on his way to capturing his first French Open title. After defeating six time winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-final and pushing him out of the league, he progressed to face Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner’s deep groundstrokes, excellent service, heavy top spin, and subtle variations had worn down Alcaraz, who found himself 5-3 down and trailing 0-40 in the fourth set, and facing three match points.
Flipping the entire narrative, Alcaraz took it away the greatest comeback in Roland-Garros history. After winning the third set (6-4) and pinning down the fourth (7-6), the fifth set became the nail-biting tie breaker. Going to the Prince of Clay, Alcaraz was crowned the French Open winner after a match that lasted nearly 6 hours!