Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Jannik Sinner to Secure Spot in First French Open Final

Carlos Alcaraz reached his first French open final by defeat Jannik Sinner on Friday. Alcaraz 21 year old from Spain won the match with scores of 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and 6-3. This victory make him the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam final on three different surfaces clay, grass and hard courts.

Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open in 2022 on hard courts and Wimbledon in 2023 on grass. Now he play for the championship on the red clay at Roland Garros. He reached to French Open final after a tough match against Jannik Sinner which lasted 4 hours and 9 minutes. Alcaraz come back from behind to win this long and challenging game.

It is definitely one of the toughest matches I have played said Alcaraz. Even he won Alcaraz actually scored two fewer points than Sinner 147 to 145. The hardest matches in my career so far have against Jannik, he added.

The No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz will play against either Alexander Zverev or Casper Ruud in Sunday final. This will the first men final at the French Open since 2004 without at least one of the trio Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.

Djokovic the defending champion in Paris withdrew. Before the quarterfinals due to a torn meniscus in his right knee and surgery this week. Since he will lose his top spot in the ATP rankings. This allows Sinner to move up to No. 2 despite his loss on Friday.

Sinner 22 came into the semifinals with a perfect 13-0 record in Grand Slam matches for 2024 won the Australian Open in January. However he also had a lingering hip injury which caused him to miss the clay court tournament in Rome last month.

No. 4 Zverev from Germany and No. 7 Ruud from Norway were set to play in the second semifinal on Friday. Earlier that day Zverev resolved a domestic abuse case in Berlin with an out-of-court settlement with his accuser, a former girlfriend.

The match between Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner started in the afternoon under a clear, blue sky.

They are seen as the future of men’s tennis, and the present looks pretty good too. Although this wasn’t the most beautiful of their nine matches Alcaraz now leads 5-4. They produced some brilliant moments that made the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd cheer with chants of each player’s name. They also combined for 102 unforced errors.

In the third set, both players had physical issues. Alcaraz’s right hand cramped, and Sinner needed his right forearm and left leg massaged. Sinner won that set. This reminded fans of last year’s French Open semifinals when Alcaraz started strong against Djokovic. But hindered by full body cramps in the third set, making the rest of the match less exciting.

“I learned from last year’s match against Djokovic when I faced a similar situation,” Alcaraz shared. “In moments like this, you have to stay calm, keep pushing forward, because eventually, the cramp will fade away. You just have to stay focused and keep fighting.”

True to his words, Carlos Alcaraz remained steadfast. He frequently employed drop shots during the match, sometimes winning points directly with them. Which sometimes using them to set up elegant lobs or to create opportunities for powerful passing shots with his strong forehand.

In the fifth set, with shadows casting over more than half of the court, Alcaraz surged ahead by sliding gracefully to reach across his body. Which is executing a stunning backhand passing winner for a break point. Then, with a powerful forehand winner one of his 30 in the match he secured a 2-0 lead at the 3½-hour mark. By prompting a spirited “Vamos” from his coach, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.

As the match progressed Alcaraz continue to dominate quickly advancing to a 3-0 lead.

Both players hit the ball with such intensity that the sound of the ball hitting their strings echoed throughout the stadium which was drawing gasps from spectators in the midst of the action.

Sinner, wearing a rust colored shirt that seemed to blend with the clay, came out strong from the beginning of the match. He rarely missed, smoothly moving along the baseline and using his long limbs to reach almost every shot Alcaraz sent his way. On the other side, Alcaraz, with his right arm covered by a white sleeve, unleashed powerful shots to the corners. By often accompanied by a grunt. Despite his efforts, Sinner managed to retrieve many of these shots, sending them back and forcing Alcaraz into errors.

Sinner quickly took a commanding 4-0 lead, while it took Alcaraz a challenging 20 minutes to finally get on the scoreboard with a single point.

In the crucial first set, both players were evenly matched in points lasting four strokes or fewer, with each taking 13. However, when rallies extended beyond that, Sinner held a significant advantage, leading 19-8. As the match progressed, Alcaraz began to focus on shortening the points.

The second set didn’t start well for Alcaraz as he fell behind 2-0. But he refused to give up. Just when it mattered most, he turned the tide, winning five consecutive games to seize control of the set.

Despite Sinner leading two sets to one, Alcaraz rallied and pushed the match to a fifth set. He closed out the fourth set with a spectacular cross court backhand winner, raising his right fist triumphantly in celebration.

With his shots gaining more power, and the crowd growing louder with every point, Alcaraz maintained his early lead in the final set without faltering.

You have to find happiness even when it’s tough. That’s the secret. Especially on clay, here at Roland Garros. There are long rallies, four hour matches, five sets, Alcaraz explained. You have to keep fighting, keep pushing through the challenges. But as I’ve told my team many times, you have to find joy in overcoming those challenges.