Carlos Alcaraz beats Alexander Zverev in five sets to win first French Open title

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest male tennis player to claim a major title on all three surfaces after beating Alexander Zverev in five sets at the French Open final on Sunday.

Alcaraz won the first set 6-3 and Zverev took the second 6-2 to level the match. In the third set, Zverev edged out a 7-5 win before Alcaraz forced a fifth set with a dominant 6-1 win in the fourth set. He defeated Zverev 6-2 in the final decisive set.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who grew up watching countryman Rafael Nadal win trophy after trophy at Roland Garros — a record 14 in all — now has eclipsed Nadal to become the youngest man to collect major championships on three surfaces. Nadal was about 1½ years older when he did it. Alcaraz won the U.S. Open on hard courts in 2022 and Wimbledon on grass last year.

“You’re already a Hall of Famer and you already achieved so much,” Zverev said after the match. “Not the last time you’re going to win this.”

Alcaraz is now 3-0 in Grand Slam finals.

Zverev, a 27-year-old from Germany, was the runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Open and bowed out in the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years. This time, Zverev lost after surging in front by reeling off the last five games of the third set. Alcaraz’s level dipped during that stretch and he seemed distracted by a complaint over the condition of the clay at Court Philippe Chatrier, telling chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein it was “unbelievable.”

The match marked the first time a men’s final at Roland Garros didn’t include at least one of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer since 2004.

Nadal lost to Zverev in the first round two weeks ago; Djokovic, a three-time champion, withdrew before the quarterfinals with a knee injury that required surgery; Federer is retired.

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