PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz Started preparing for his comeback on Sunday French Open Won 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in the final alexander zverev To win his first championship at Roland Garros and his third Grand Slam title overall, the kid played a magical shot that has become a regular part of his varied repertoire.
It was a running, then sliding, down-the-line, untouched forehand passing winner that Alcaraz celebrated by raising his right index finger in a “No. 1” sign, then throwing an uppercut and yelling, “Vamos!”
No, he is not ranked No.1 at the moment – The man he beat in the semi-finals was Jannik Sinnerwill make his debut in the top spot on Monday — but Alcaraz has been there before and, though he will have a “2” next to his name next week, there’s no doubt he’s as good as men’s tennis can get right now. And more accomplished than any man his age.
Alcaraz is a 21-year-old from Spain who as a child would run home from school to watch his compatriot Rafael Nadal win consecutive titles at Roland Garros – a record 14 – and become the youngest man to win major championships on three surfaces. Nadal was about a year and a half older when he accomplished the feat.
“Different tournaments, different aura,” said Alcaraz when asked to differentiate between his trio of trophies, “but I would say this: the same feeling. I mean, winning a Grand Slam is always special,”
The clay-court major player adds to the hardware he has won on hard courts. US Open in 2022 and on the grass at Wimbledon in 2023. He is 3-0 in Slam finals.
“It’s already been an amazing career. You’re already a Hall of Famer. You’ve already accomplished so much — and you’re only 21,” Zverev said, Who also lost the final of the 2020 US OpenAfter he fell two points short of victory. “Unbelievable player. This is not the last time you are going to win this.”
Zverev, 27, of Germany, has exited the French Open in the semifinals each of the past three years, including in 2022 after tearing ankle ligaments during the second set against Nadal in that round. Hours before Zverev’s semifinal win over Casper Ruud on Friday, a Berlin district court declared that he out of court settlement reached That ended a trial stemming from an assault allegation made by an ex-girlfriend during an argument in 2020.
Against Alcaraz on Sunday, Zverev faltered after holding a lead in the last five games of the third set. During that period Alcaraz’s level dropped and he seemed distracted by complaints about the state of the clay, telling chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein that it was “unbelievable”.
But Alcaraz came back and won, and has won 12 of his last 15 games, despite being treated by a trainer for pain and cramps in his left leg.
“I know when I’m playing the fifth set, you have to give it your all and you have to put your heart into it,” Alcaraz said. “I mean, in those moments, that’s when the top players give their best tennis.”
No. 3 seed Alcaraz and No. 4 Zverev were appearing in the French Open final for the first time. In fact, this was the first men’s title match at Roland Garros since 2004 to not feature at least one tie. Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer,
Nadal, 38, has been limited by injuries over the past two seasons. lost to Zverev in the first round Two weeks ago, 37-year-old Djokovic, a three-time champion, withdrew before the quarterfinals with a knee injury that required surgery; Federer, 42, has retired.
There was some nervousness at the start. Zverev started with two double-faults – changing rackets after the second, as if the equipment was to blame – and got broken. Alcaraz also lost serve immediately.
Let’s just say they won’t be playing the first 10 minutes in the Louvre. In fact, much of the 4-hour, 19-minute match was erratic, riddled with unforced errors.
Alcaraz was at his best when it mattered most – in the last two sets.
“I lost my focus, and on my serve, I wasn’t getting any power from my legs anymore, which is strange. Because normally I don’t get tired. I don’t get cramps,” Zverev said. “Against Carlos, it’s a different intensity.”
Like his performance against Zverev, Alcaraz came back from two sets to one down against Sinner to become the first man to win the French Open by doing so in the last two matches since Spain’s Manolo Santana in 1961.
Alcaraz showed all his skills: the drop shot, the artistic half-volley, the aggressively executed intimidating forehand and the booming volley. His 27 forehand winners were 20 more than Zverev’s total.
Not bad for a guy who arrived in Paris saying he was Afraid to hit his forehand with full force A forearm injury kept him out of action for almost the entire month of May. He said Sunday that there were “a lot of doubts” heading into the French Open and he was forced to limit his practice time – which is why he considers this win the proudest moment of his still-nascent career.
In the fifth set, Zverev was broken under Alcaraz’s persistent pressure to fall 2-1 behind. The next game displayed the grit and courage that had already been the hallmark of Alcaraz’s style.
Zverev – who argued about a line call on a second serve by Alcaraz, which the German later said was out according to an unofficial video review – had four break points. He failed to convert any of the points. Alcaraz did not let him, and ended the game with a drop shot.
The crowd roared. Alcaraz waved his racket, holding his left index finger to his ear. He broke again for 5-2, then served and fell on his back, soiling his shirt — as Nadal often did after championship points.
Alcaraz first learned to play tennis on the rust-coloured surface, though he says he prefers hard courts. Alcaraz says he has long dreamed of adding his name to the list of Spanish men to have won the event, which includes his coach, 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.
And those red-and-yellow Spanish flags that have flown every year at Court Philippe Chatrier during Nadal’s era were there again on Sunday, this time for Alcaraz. What difference did it make? The cries of “Ra-fa! Ra-fa!” had now become “Car-los! Car-los!”
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