- Spaniard wins 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in 4hr 19min
- Alcaraz the youngest man to win majors on all surfaces
Much of this year’s clay-court season had been a miserable experience for Carlos Alcaraz. He was sidelined from three of his four planned tournaments with a forearm injury and hampered in the one event he did play. His fitness struggles raised further questions about whether his body can withstand the pressure his all-action playing style imposes on it and he arrived at Roland Garros without much match practice or rhythm.
It takes a special talent to enter a major tournament with such disjointed preparation yet still be prepared to overcome every obstacle and find a way through the other side. After five messy but increasingly dramatic sets, the Spaniard kept his head even after an inexplicable third-set collapse and he recovered to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 as he won his first French Open title.