Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious in a five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev at the Roland Garros, clinching the French Open 2024 title.
The young Spaniard triumphed over his German opponent with scores of 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, and 6-2, marking his first French Open championship.
This win is notable as it’s the first time since 2016 that a new champion has been crowned at the French Open. In 2016, Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in a five-set match to claim his first title at the tournament.
Seeded third in the competition, Alcaraz made history by becoming the youngest player to win Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces at the age of 21.
He previously won the US Open on hard court in 2022 and Wimbledon on grass in 2023.
Carlos Alcaraz’s victory mirrored his semifinal performance. Just like his match against Jannik Sinner, he found himself down two sets to one.
However, he remained confident in his abilities, rallied to push the match to a decisive fifth set, and ultimately outclassed his opponent in the final set.
Carlos Alcaraz’s knack for delivering under pressure was key to his victory
Carlos Alcaraz’s knack for delivering under pressure was key to his victory. He converted nine of the 16 break points he earned, a sharp contrast to Zverev, who only managed to capitalize on six of his 23 opportunities. This discrepancy ultimately cost the German the match.
CARLOS I, PRINCE OF CLAY 👑#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/lZWMplAmYK
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2024
The final was grueling for both players, but especially for Zverev, who had already spent 19 hours and 27 minutes on the court leading up to it, the most time any player has logged since records began in 1991.
Despite this, he appeared the fresher of the two, which is a testament to his endurance. However, Alcaraz’s superior execution of skills on the court gave him the edge he needed to secure the win.
