Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, the World No. 2, etched his name deeper into tennis folklore on Sunday, securing a remarkable second consecutive French Open title. He achieved this feat by overcoming top seed Jannik Sinner by 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in a historic final clash on the iconic clay of Roland Garros. This much-anticipated showdown pitted the Spaniard, holding a slight edge in their previous encounters, against an Italian phenom who entered the match with a pristine record in Grand Slam finals.
Alcaraz carried the weight of defending his crown, while Sinner aimed to maintain his untarnished championship pedigree. Ultimately, Alcaraz conquered the Sinner challenge, securing his fifth major trophy in a contest destined to be remembered for generations.
An epic Roland Garros final: Rewriting the record books
This wasn't just any final; it was a grueling test of endurance, skill, and nerve that shattered records. The battle between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner stretched for a staggering 5 hours and 29 minutes, officially claiming the title of the longest French Open final in the Open Era.
This extraordinary duration underscored the incredibly high level of play and the razor-thin margins separating these two titans of the sport. Every point was fiercely contested, pushing both athletes to their absolute physical and mental limits over nearly five and a half hours of breathtaking tennis under the Parisian sky.
The impossible comeback: Carlos Alcaraz defies the odds
For vast stretches of this monumental encounter, it seemed Jannik Sinner's moment had arrived. The top seed, who hadn't dropped a single set throughout his entire 2025 Roland Garros campaign, seized command early. Playing with precision and power, Sinner captured the first two sets 6-4, 7-6(4). He appeared poised and dominant, seemingly cruising towards his maiden Coupe des Mousquetaires. Alcaraz, the defending king, looked dethroned, struggling to find answers against Sinner's relentless pressure.
However, the true mark of a champion is resilience. Facing a daunting two-set deficit and a rival in imperious form, Carlos Alcaraz embarked on one of the greatest comebacks witnessed on the clay of Philippe-Chatrier. He clawed his way back into contention, taking the third set 6-4. The fourth set became another monumental struggle, culminating in a tiebreak where Alcaraz held his nerve to triumph 7-6(3), forcing the contest into a decisive fifth set.
The drama reached fever pitch in that final stanza. After nearly four hours of play, Sinner earned his first match point. Later, serving for the championship at 5-4, Alcaraz faced break points at 15-40. In a moment of pure magic, Sinner produced an impossible retrieval from an Alcaraz drop shot, somehow gliding the ball over the net with the softness of "an autumn leaf" to save the first championship point and break back for 5-5.
Jannik Sinner then found himself just two points from victory when Alcaraz served at 15-30 and later at deuce in the twelfth game. Yet, Alcaraz refused to yield. A staggering cross-court backhand saved the day, forcing a final, decisive tiebreak.
With the Parisian crowd roaring, Alcaraz surged ahead in the breaker, racing to a 4-0 lead. Sinner, drained by the epic duration and the Spaniard's refusal to fold, couldn't mount another comeback. Carlos Alcaraz sealed his unprecedented victory and fifth Grand Slam title with a superb forehand pass down the line, collapsing onto his back in exhausted, ecstatic celebration.
The final scoreline – 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) – barely captures the sheer drama and historic significance of Alcaraz's stunning defense of his French Open crown against the previously undefeated-in-finals Sinner.