Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner to win French Open title in historic five set decider

8 June 2025, 20:02 | Updated: 9 June 2025, 11:00

Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Jannik Sinner to retain his French Open title, with the five set match going down in history as one of the longest ever men's singles finals.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz beat the world number one, Jannik Sinner, following an impressive ten-point tie break in the fifth set at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz battled from two sets down to secure a brilliant 4-6 6-7 (4) 6-4 7-6 (3) 7-6 (10-2) triumph in five hours and 29 minutes at Roland Garros, denying world number one Sinner a third consecutive grand slam title.

The Italian, who remains world number one despite the loss, took the first two sets, threatening a quick win, before Spaniard world number two Carlos Alcaraz took the second two, forcing a deciding fifth set.

The Spaniard showed incredible reserves of energy and willpower to win a five-hour 29-minute marathon and deny world number one Sinner a third consecutive grand slam title.

Instead Alcaraz claimed his fifth major crown at exactly the same age as his idol Rafael Nadal did, aged 22 years, one month and three days old.It was his fifth victory from his fifth final, which was the first at one of the slams to be played between two players born this century.

The winner of Roland Garros champion wins £2.15million in prize money and gains 2,000 points in the rankings.

The Italian won the first set 6-4, with the Italian winning the tiebreak to claim the second set.

It left the Italian one set away from winning the Open.

But Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion of the French Open, came back from the brink of defeat to win the third set 6-4, becoming the first player to win a set against the world number one at this year's French Open.

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And it is one that will go down as a cast-iron Roland Garros classic, a final for the ages, a high-quality, heavy-hitting marathon which finished 4-6 6-7 (4) 6-4 7-6 (3) 7-6 (10-2) to the man from Murcia.

After receiving the trophy – not from Nadal but from 1999 champion Andre Agassi – Alcaraz said: “Jannik, it’s amazing the level you reach.

“To everyone who came from Murcia to support me, thank you. This trophy is yours also.

“Paris, you have been important support for me since the first practice in the first round, I can’t thank you enough. You will always be in my heart.”

Greg Rusedski hailed Carlos Alcaraz’s epic five-set victory over Jannik Sinner in the French Open men’s singles final as the greatest match he had ever seen.

“For me, personally, this goes down as the greatest tennis match I’ve ever seen,” Rusedski said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“The standard was just exceptional. It’s just incredible how hard these guys hit the ball."

“Carlos Alcaraz has this self-belief that I’ve never seen in any player. It doesn’t matter what the scoreline is – the more pressure’s on him, the more he’s down, the better he plays.“

"Sinner will be bitterly disappointed having had those three match points at 5-3, that backhand, second-serve return he missed, but Carlos believed he could find a way and then all of a sudden, to win it in five sets, in the manner that he did, is incredible."

“I don’t think we’re ever going to see another match better than this in my lifetime, so remember this day.”

Tim Henman also rated the match as being right up with the greatest, with the former British number one telling TNT Sports: “When you’ve got the two top two going head to head, it doesn’t always live up to the hype, but that is one of the best, one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen."

“And to have it in a grand slam final is something special. Spare a thought for Jannik Sinner. He played some amazing tennis and got oh so close.”

Real Madrid posted on X: “Congratulations, dear @carlosalcaraz, for your second consecutive Roland Garros title, the fifth Grand Slam, achieved in such spectacular fashion. All madridistas are happy and proud of this brilliant success achieved by one of our own.”

Former England football captain Gary Lineker wrote on an Instagram Story: “One of the greatest sporting contests I’ve ever watched. Incredible final.”

Today's Men's Singles final was the longest at Roland Garros in the Open Era, breaking the previous record of 4 hours 42mins in 1982.

Jannik Sinner remains world number one.

The two men now have eight Grand Slam titles between them.