Sports

‘Prince of Clay’ Alcaraz Battles Back from Brink to Retain French Open Crown

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2 days ago

June 9, 2025

BONA NAIJA

Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz reaffirmed his place as the heir to Rafael Nadal’s Roland Garros throne with a historic comeback victory over Jannik Sinner on Sunday, retaining his French Open crown after an epic five-set battle in what many are already calling a classic for the ages.

In a tense, five-hour-and-29-minute showdown — the longest final in French Open history — the 22-year-old Spaniard saved three match points and clawed his way to a 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) victory on the sun-drenched Court Philippe Chatrier, denying Sinner a first Roland Garros title and extending his own Grand Slam dominance.

Alcaraz now becomes only the second man in the Open Era, after Roger Federer, to win his first five Grand Slam finals, and joins Rafael Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten as the only men to win back-to-back French Open titles in this century.

“I’m just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament,” Alcaraz told Sinner during the trophy ceremony.
“I’m sure you’re going to be champion not once, but many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you.”

The match was not only a duel of raw talent but of resilience. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down before, mounted a stunning turnaround after trailing by a set and 1–4 in the second. Sinner, 23, was playing his first Grand Slam after a three-month ban linked to a doping case and looked poised to complete a dream run, but Alcaraz had other plans.

Down 3-5 in the fourth and staring down three championship points, the Spaniard dug deep, forced a tiebreak, and swung the momentum decisively in his favour. In a dramatic final set that saw both players trade breaks, Alcaraz dominated the 10-point super tiebreak, sealing victory and collapsing to the red clay in emotional celebration.

The match marked the first Grand Slam final between two men born in the 2000s, signifying a seismic shift in men’s tennis — from the Big Three era to a new rivalry that could define the next decade.

Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero praised his protégé’s poise under pressure.

“He was born to play these kind of moments,” Ferrero said. “Even when he was younger in the challengers, he always went for it.”

Sinner, despite the heartbreaking loss, was gracious in defeat.

“We gave everything,” he said. “I won’t sleep very well tonight, but it’s okay. It’s a big privilege for me to play here.”

With this win, Alcaraz also matched Nadal’s record of five Grand Slam titles at the same age of 22.

“That’s destiny,” he said. “It’s a stat I’m going to keep forever … It’s a huge honour.”

As Nadal’s era on clay winds down, Roland Garros may have found its next monarch. The French Open’s official X account put it simply:

“CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY.”

List of French Open men’s singles champions

Here is the list of French Open Men’s Singles Champions

French Open Men’s Singles Champions (Open Era onward: 1968–2025)

2025 Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) beat Jannik Sinner (Italy) 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2)
2024 Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) beat Alexander Zverev (Germany) 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
2023 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Casper Ruud (Norway) 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5
2022 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Casper Ruud (Norway) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
2021 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
2020 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 6-0, 6-2, 7-5
2019 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
2018 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
2017 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
2016 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Andy Murray (UK) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
2015 Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
2014 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
2013 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
2012 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
2011 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1
2010 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Robin Söderling (Sweden) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
2009 Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Robin Söderling (Sweden) 6-1, 7-6, 6-4
2008 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-1, 6-3, 6-0
2007 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2006 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6
2005 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Mariano Puerta (Argentina) 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5
2004 Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 0-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 8-6
2003 Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
2002 Albert Costa (Spain) beat Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 6-1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
2001 Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) beat Alex Corretja (Spain) 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
2000 Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) beat Magnus Norman (Sweden) 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6
1999 Andre Agassi (USA) beat Andrei Medvedev (Ukraine) 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
1998 Carlos Moyá (Spain) beat Alex Corretja (Spain) 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
1997 Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) beat Sergi Bruguera (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
1996 Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Michael Stich (Germany) 7-6, 7-5, 7-6
1995 Thomas Muster (Austria) beat Michael Chang (USA) 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
1994 Sergi Bruguera (Spain) beat Alberto Berasategui (Spain) 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
1993 Sergi Bruguera (Spain) beat Jim Courier (USA) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
1992 Jim Courier (USA) beat Petr Korda (Czechoslovakia) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
1991 Jim Courier (USA) beat Andre Agassi (USA) 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
1990 Andres Gomez (Ecuador) beat Andre Agassi (USA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
1989 Michael Chang (USA) beat Stefan Edberg (Sweden) 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
1988 Mats Wilander (Sweden) beat Henri Leconte (France) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
1987 Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) beat Mats Wilander (Sweden) 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6
1986 Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) beat Mikael Pernfors (Sweden) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
1985 Mats Wilander (Sweden) beat Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
1984 Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) beat John McEnroe (USA) 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5
1983 Yannick Noah (France) beat Mats Wilander (Sweden) 6-2, 7-5, 7-6
1982 Mats Wilander (Sweden) beat Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) 1-6, 7-6, 6-0, 6-4
1981 Björn Borg (Sweden) beat Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
1980 Björn Borg (Sweden) beat Vitas Gerulaitis (USA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
1979 Björn Borg (Sweden) beat Victor Pecci (Paraguay) 6-3, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4
1978 Björn Borg (Sweden) beat Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
1977 Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) beat Brian Gottfried (USA) 6-0, 6-3, 6-0
1976 Adriano Panatta (Italy) beat Harold Solomon (USA) 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6
1975 Björn Borg (Sweden) beat Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
1974 Björn Borg (Sweden) beat Manuel Orantes (Spain) 6-7, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1
1973 Ilie Năstase (Romania) beat Nikola Pilić (Yugoslavia) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
1972 Andrés Gimeno (Spain) beat Patrick Proisy (France) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
1971 Jan Kodeš (Czechoslovakia) beat Ilie Năstase (Romania) 8-6, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
1970 Jan Kodeš (Czechoslovakia) beat Željko Franulović (Yugoslavia) 6-2, 6-4, 6-0
1969 Rod Laver (Australia) beat Ken Rosewall (Australia) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
1968 Ken Rosewall (Australia) beat Rod Laver (Australia) 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2

Here is the list of French Open Men’s Singles Champions before the Open Era (before 1968), arranged chronologically from most recent (1967) to the oldest (1891):