Carlos Alcaraz saved three match points before retaining his French Open title in sensational style by winning a five-set, five-hour classic against Jannik Sinner.
The Spanish superstar has now won all five of his Grand Slam finals after coming back to win from two sets down for the first time ever to win the first ever match tiebreak in Paris.
But Sinner, who was playing only his second event since returning from a three-month doping ban last month, ran out of steam in the longest ever French Open men’s final.
And the world No.2 Alcaraz beat the world No.1 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 in their first Grand Slam final meeting – and the first between two men born this century.
Some of the power hitting from the baseline was simply breathtaking before Alcaraz took his first match point after five hours and 29 minutes to the delight of the French crowd. He took the match tiebreak 10-2.
It was an incredible final – one of the best in tennis history, Alcaraz, who saved the match points at 3-5 in the fourth set, has now won five consecutive matches against US and Australian Open champion Sinner. It was the first time the Italian had lost a Major final in his fourth appearance.
But the top two players in the world have now won the last six Grand Slams – and the quality and sheer physicality of their play suggests they can continue to dominate the sport for years to come.
And a French Open which began with a ceremony to celebrate Rafa Nadal finished with his fellow Spaniard, 22, becoming the youngest player to retain the title in Paris since the 14-time champion won four times between 2005-08.
The previous longest Paris final was in 1982 when Mats Wilander needed four hours and 42 minutes to beat Guillermo Vilas in four sets. It was also the second longest Grand Slam final ever after the 2012 Australian Open final between Djokovic and Nadal which lasted five hours and 53 minutes.
The tone for the contest was set in an extraordinary 12-minute opening game where Sinner saved three break points. Alcaraz took his seventh break point of the match when the Italian hooked a forehand into the tramlines to lead 3-2. But the world No.1 broke straight back when Alcaraz dumped a backhand into the net after 42 minutes.
Serving to stay in the set at 4-5, Alcaraz’s backhand on set point hit the net cord and went out after 62 minutes.
Sinner raced into a 3-0 lead in the second set and served for the set at 5-3 but dropped his serve when he hit a forehand long. But he was superb in the tiebreak. At 2-3, he clubbed a forehand into the corner which Alcaraz could only watch in disbelief.
From 6-2, Alcaraz saved two set points, including a forehand pass following a Sinner backhand overhead. But Sinner took his third set point with crushing forehand crosscourt shot which Alcaraz could only push back into the net
Alcaraz never won a match from two sets down – and the end appeared nigh when he was broken it eh opng game of the third set. But from there he won the next four games – including breaking serve for a second time by wining a 22-shot rally. The Spaniard cupped his hand to his ears to encourage the applause.
Serving for the set at 5-3, Alcaraz was broken when he could not return another looping Sinner forehand. But in the next game he set up three set points on the Sinner serve with a forehand winner down the line – and took the first with a forehand volley after just over three hours.
It ended a run of 31 consecutive sets won in Grand Slams by Sinner stretching back to his four-set win over Holger Rune in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
In the fourth set, Sinner made his move at 3-3 by taking his first break point when Alcaraz missed a backhand down the line. Alcaraz saved three Championship points on the Alcaraz serve at 3-5. But serving for the match, Sinner was broken when he could only return a big Alcaraz forehand long to level the score at 5-5.
And the Spaniard took his first set point in the tiebreak with an inside out forehand winner to take the match to a decider – 27 minutes after Sinner’s first match point. It was the first five-set match Sinner had played since Wimbledon last year and it showed.
Alcaraz broke Sinner in the first game of the final set when the Italian ended a 23-shot rally by chasing down a drop but sending his return into the tramlines.
Serving for the match at 5-4, Alcaraz was broken when Sinner’s deep return forced the Spaniard to hit a return into the net.
The WImbledon champion forced the match tiebreak with an incredible backhand pass and raced into a 6-0 lead before he took his first match match point with a forehand winner down the line to win the match tiebreak 10-2.