Carlos Alcaraz Makes History with Fifth Grand Slam Win at Roland Garros

Historic Victory for Carlos Alcaraz

In a remarkable display of skill and determination, Carlos Alcaraz etched his name deeper into tennis history by securing his fifth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros on June 8. This victory came after an incredible comeback against Jannik Sinner, allowing Alcaraz to match Rafael Nadal's record of five Grand Slam titles at the same age of 22 years, 1 month, and 3 days, the same age Nadal was when he won his fifth major at Wimbledon in 2008.

Alcaraz Honors Nadal as His Inspiration

Reflecting on his achievement, Alcaraz expressed that it felt like a moment of 'destiny' and paid tribute to Nadal, whom he regards as an idol and a significant source of inspiration. He emphasized the importance of this milestone, stating that it is a statistic he will cherish forever, sharing this remarkable feat with the most successful player in French Open history.

Alcaraz remarked, 'The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Rafael Nadal, I’m going to say that’s destiny. It is a stat that I’m going to keep for me forever, winning the fifth Grand Slam at the same time as Rafael, my idol, my inspiration. It’s a huge honour.'

Epic Comeback in a 5-Hour Battle

The final was a grueling contest that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes, with Alcaraz overcoming a two-set deficit. Sinner had three championship points in the third set, but Alcaraz surged back to claim victory with a score of 4–6, 6–7 (4), 6–4, 7–6 (3), 7–6 (10–2), marking one of the most thrilling finals in French Open history.

Alcaraz commented on the match points, saying, 'The match points were not great points. I saved match points, it’s great but the points were not good. At 6-5 in the fifth at 15-30 or 30-all, advantage for me, 40-all. Those points I remember pretty clear, and honestly I still don’t know how I did it.'

Support from the Crowd and Key Moments

Alcaraz credited the enthusiastic crowd at Roland Garros for his comeback, especially during the critical moments of the final set. He noted that the pivotal moment came at 6-5 in the fifth set when Sinner appeared to be in control. Alcaraz managed to withstand the pressure and pushed the match into a super tie-breaker, where he took charge to secure his historic win.

'Without them, it would have been impossible to come back,' he stated. 'At the start of the third set, everything was going his way. I had to delete those thoughts from my mind and fight.'