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Relive the pivotal moments of the Spaniard’s comeback victory
June 08, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz in action on Sunday during the championship match at Roland Garros.
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz in action on Sunday during the championship match at Roland Garros.
By Andy West
When Carlos Alcaraz stepped up to the line to serve at 3-5, 0/40 in the fourth set of Sunday’s Roland Garros title match, a Jannik Sinner victory seemed a near certainty. Yet with the stakes at their highest, Alcaraz raised his game. It would not be the last time the Spaniard did that in what became the longest championship match in the history of the clay major.

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The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Sinner, leading Alcaraz by two sets to one and a break at 5-3, powered a typically ferocious forehand, which Alcaraz could not return, to start the ninth game of the fourth set. The pressure of the situation then appeared to get to Alcaraz, who helped Sinner to the brink of victory with a double fault and a forehand that went wide, digging a 0/40 deficit.

It was at that moment, with the relentless Sinner on the brink of his third consecutive major title, that the Alcaraz comeback began. With the next point into another baseline rally, it was Sinner who blinked first on his first championship point. The top seed struck a forehand on the run long.

Now at 15/40, Alcaraz fired his first serve long, but added enough kick to his second serve that a charging Sinner, who had moved in to take the ball early, was unable to prevent his backhand from flying long.

With one championship point left for Sinner at 30/40, the two great rivals entered another baseline exchange. This time, Sinner netted a forehand, and Alcaraz had resurrected his dwindling hopes of lifting the Coupe de Mousqetaires for the second consecutive year.


Alcaraz delivered an ace and a stunning forehand thunderbolt to complete his escape for 4-5, but there was still the small issue of the Spaniard needing to break Sinner, whose precise serving had powered his Roland Garros run, in order to stay alive longer. The defending champion did just that, breaking to 15 to level at 5-5 and send the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd into raptures.

Those proved to be the pivotal moments in one of the most gripping finals in recent memory. After falling behind an early mini-break at 0/2 in the fourth-set tie-break, Alcaraz produced a near-flawless display the rest of the way to level the match at two sets all.

If that fourth-set escape wasn't enough, Alcaraz again proved his ability to bring his best at crucial moments in the fifth set, during which Sinner had roused a comeback of his own by reclaiming a break for 5-5. In the first fifth-set tie-break in a Roland Garros final, Alcaraz sprinted to a 7/0 lead, highlighted by forehand winners on the second and fourth points, and a stunning down-the-line backhand on the seventh.

With the Spaniard striking the ball as well as at any point in the match, Sinner won two points on serve to halt Alcaraz's winning streak of nine consecutive points, but the 2/7 deficit was always likely to be too great against the redlining Spaniard. After winning two further points behind his delivery, Alcaraz capped a stunning 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) win and his fifth major title run with a scorching forehand pass on the run.

Spaniard successfully defends title on Parisian clay
June 08, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner in the Roland Garros final to claim his fifth Grand Slam trophy.
ATP Tour/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner in the Roland Garros final to claim his fifth Grand Slam trophy.
By ATP Staff
Carlos Alcaraz extended his lead in his Big Titles Race with Jannik Sinner by making an unforgettable comeback against the Italian on Sunday in the Roland Garros final.

Sinner held three championship points in the fourth set to earn his third consecutive major and ninth Big Title. But instead of the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings moving within two Big Titles of his rival, the Spaniard now owns a four-trophy advantage.

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Alcaraz now has 12 Big Titles, a combination of Grand Slam championships, trophies at the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, and Olympic singles gold medals. The 22-year-old has won three of them during the clay-court season alone, having also emerged victorious in Monte-Carlo and Rome.

Big Titles Won: Alcaraz & Sinner

Players Grand Slams NATPF 1000s Total^ (Avg)
Carlos Alcaraz 5/17 0/2 7/30 12/50 (4.2)
Jannik Sinner 3/22 1/3 4/34 8/58 (7.3)
At 22 years and 34 days old, Alcaraz became the third-youngest man to win five Grand Slam titles in history. He only trails Bjorn Borg (22 years, 5 days) and Rafael Nadal (22 years, 33 days).

Alcaraz won his first major crown at the 2022 US Open as a 19-year-old, and he has now claimed at least one Slam in four consecutive seasons. The 22-year-old became the eighth man in the Open Era to successfully defend the Roland Garros title

By triumphing at the clay-court major, Alcaraz has won a Big Title for every 4.2 tournaments he has played, moving ahead of Roger Federer (1 per 4.4) in win rate. Only Novak Djokovic (3.2) and Rafael Nadal (3.5) are ahead of Alcaraz.

Sinner was trying to claim his third consecutive major title and move within a Wimbledon trophy of the Career Grand Slam. Alcaraz, who has won three of the four majors (except the Australian Open), has claimed the crowd at Roland Garros and Wimbledon twice each.

Victory marks first two-set comeback of Spaniard's career
June 08, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner in five gripping sets to rally from two sets down for the first time.
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner in five gripping sets to rally from two sets down for the first time.
By ATP Staff
Carlos Alcaraz became just the ninth player to rally from two sets down and win a Grand Slam final in the Open Era when he came back to stun Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) for the Roland Garros trophy on Sunday.

Alcaraz entered the championship clash without a two-set comeback on his resume. Now he has a very important one and is 13-1 in five-setters, including 4-0 at Roland Garros, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

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The 22-year-old is the fifth player to rally from two sets down in the Roland Garros final and the first since Gaston Gaudio surged past Guillermo Coria in 2004. This was the first final-set tie-break at the tournament in history.

Two-Set Comebacks In Grand Slam Finals


Result Tournament
Bjorn Borg def. Manuel Orantes 1974 Roland Garros
Ivan Lendl def. John McEnroe 1984 Roland Garros
Andre Agassi def. Andrei Medvedev 1999 Roland Garros
Gaston Gaudio def. Guillermo Coria 2004 Roland Garros
Dominic Thiem def. Alexander Zverev 2020 US Open
Novak Djokovic def. Stefanos Tsitsipas 2021 Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal def. Daniil Medvedev 2022 Australian Open
Jannik Sinner def. Daniil Medvedev 2024 Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz def. Jannik Sinner 2025 Roland Garros
It All Adds Up

From the start of the Open Era in 1968 until Gaudio defeated Coria, only four men rallied from two sets down in a major final. Each of those occasions was in the Roland Garros championship match.

Since the 2020 US Open, in which Dominic Thiem shocked Alexander Zverev, there have now been five two-set comebacks in Grand Slam finals. This was the first one to happen at Roland Garros during that stretch.

In last year's Australian Open final, Sinner earned a two-set comeback of his own against Daniil Medvedev. However, this time he fell on the wrong side of the result.

Spaniard becomes third man in Open Era to save championship point, win major final
June 08, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his memorable five-set victory against Jannik Sinner on Sunday in the Roland Garros final.
AFP/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his memorable five-set victory against Jannik Sinner on Sunday in the Roland Garros final.
By Sam Jacot
Carlos Alcaraz captured his fifth major title in dramatic fashion on Sunday at Roland Garros, where he saved three championship points to overcome rival Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) and become the third man in the Open Era to save at least one championship point en route to a Grand Slam trophy.

The final was the latest and most electrifying chapter in one of tennis' most captivating modern rivalries. Alcaraz and Sinner, who first faced off at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris in 2021, had never before met in a major final. Their long-awaited showdown didn’t just deliver, it made history, turning into the longest Roland Garros final on record at five hours and 29 minutes.

Alcaraz joined Gaston Gaudio (2004 Roland Garros vs. Guillermo Coria) and Novak Djokovic (2019 Wimbledon vs. Roger Federer) in saving championship points in a Slam final and also became the ninth man in the Open Era to rally from two sets down to win a major final.




The match of the year hit fever pitch late in the fourth set and again in the closing stages of the fifth set. Facing defeat at 3-5, 0/40 in the fourth, Alcaraz summoned his trademark grit to save three championship points on serve and then broke Sinner in the next game to completely shift the momentum.

With the deafening roar of Court Philippe-Chatrier echoing into the Paris night, the 22-year-old showed his resolve once more in the final set. After failing to serve out the match at 5-4, Alcaraz regrouped for one final push. In the first Roland Garros final ever decided by a fifth-set tie-break, the Spaniard delivered under pressure, becoming just the third man this century to successfully defend the Roland Garros crown, joining Gustavo Kuerten and Rafael Nadal.

After a five-hour slugfest, Alcaraz saved his best tennis for the final tie-break. With pressure at an incredible high, the Spaniard hit four winners, including one on championship point, when he unleashed a screaming forehand passing shot down the line on the dead run with Sinner unable to do anything but watch the ball fly by and into the court, inside the singles line.

“I just want to say thank you for everything to my team and family;” said Alcaraz. “I have the privilege to be able to live great things with you. I was lucky to have a lot of people who came from Murcia, from home, to support me. It is just amazing support you gave me today, during the whole two weeks, [including] the people who weren’t able to come but are at home. Thank you very much and this trophy is yours as well, so thank you.”

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Alcaraz collapsed to the ground following his astonishing victory before he embraced Sinner, showing the mutual respect the pair has for each other. The 22-year-old now holds a remarkable 13-1 fifth-set record. In stark contrast, Sinner fell to 6-10 in fifth sets and remains winless in matches extending beyond three hours and 50 minutes (0–7).

“First of all, Carlos, congrats. An amazing performance, an amazing battle, amazing everything,” said Sinner at the trophy ceremony. “To you and your team, amazing job. I’m very happy for you and you deserve it.

“It’s easier to play than talk now. Obviously, to my team: Thank you so much for [helping to put] myself in this position. We tried our best today, gave everything we had. Some time ago, we would have signed to be here, so still an amazing tournament even though it’s very difficult for now.”

The victory marked Alcaraz’s Tour-leading 37th win of the season and he extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against Sinner to 8-4. Alcaraz has now won the pair's past five meetings and the Spaniard also preserved his unblemished record in Grand Slam finals (5–0). With his victory, he became the third-youngest man in history to reach the five-major milestone, trailing only Bjorn Borg (aged 21) and Nadal (aged 22).

Two-Set Comebacks In Grand Slam Finals

Result Tournament
Bjorn Borg def. Manuel Orantes 1974 Roland Garros
Ivan Lendl def. John McEnroe 1984 Roland Garros
Andre Agassi def. Andrei Medvedev 1999 Roland Garros
Gaston Gaudio def. Guillermo Coria 2004 Roland Garros
Dominic Thiem def. Alexander Zverev 2020 US Open
Novak Djokovic def. Stefanos Tsitsipas 2021 Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal def. Daniil Medvedev 2022 Australian Open
Jannik Sinner def. Daniil Medvedev 2024 Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz def. Jannik Sinner 2025 Roland Garros
Alcaraz arrived in Paris riding high after capturing ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome. By adding a second Roland Garros trophy to his growing collection, he joins an elite group of Thomas Muster (1995) and Nadal (2005-08, ’10, ’12-13, ’17-18) as the only players since 1990 to win multiple Masters 1000 titles on clay and Roland Garros in the same season. He was forced to withdraw from his home Masters 1000 event in Madrid due to an adductor injury, but bounced back to play some of the best tennis of his career.

The Spaniard has now won 20th tour-level titles, making him the first player born in the 2000s to reach the milestone.

Sinner, who was bidding for his second title of the season and 20th overall, had his own piece of history in sight. After capturing the Australian Open in January, the 23-year-old was seeking to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Grand Slam titles.

The Italian had defeated three-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, but could not quite find a way past Alcaraz. It is the first time Sinner has lost a major final, with the Italian holding a 3-1 record. The 1976 champion Adriano Panatta remains the only Italian man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy in the Open Era.


Despite the loss, Sinner retains his position atop the PIF ATP Rankings with a healthy lead of 2,030 points. As defending champion, Alcaraz was unable to add points. However, Sinner gained 500 points because he lost in the semi-finals last year (also to Alcaraz).

“It is amazing the level you have and congratulations for an amazing two weeks,” said Alcaraz, turning to his friend and rival Sinner. “To you and your team, I know the hard work you put in every day. It is huge. I know how hard you are chasing this tournament and every tournament.

“I’m pretty sure you are going to be champion, not once but many, many times. It is a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you… You are a huge inspiration for the young kids, for everyone, for myself as well I have to say. Thank you for being such a great inspiration, so good luck and all the best for what is coming.”

In an engaging first set, there were 11 break points across the 10 games, with eight saved. Sinner found his range as the set went on, with his relentless baseline ball-striking and aggressive court position rushing Alcaraz, who received a medical timeout at 4-5 after clay blew into his eye. Following the stoppage, Sinner came out and broke the Spaniard’s serve to seal the opening set on his first set point after 63 minutes.

Sinner continued to play proactively at the start of the second set, frequently gaining the first blow in the baseline rallies to race 3-0 ahead. From 5-2, the Italian looked on course to move two sets ahead but Alcaraz increased his aggression on return and enjoyed more success when moving forward to rally to 5-5. From there, Sinner showed why he’d won 47 of his past 49 matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The top seed kept his composure, blocked out the crowd's support for Alcaraz and continued to hit with relentless depth, winning the tie-break to move into a two-set lead.

It All Adds Up

Alcaraz did not fade in the third set, though. He stood closer to the baseline to rush Sinner, who had broken in the opening game to lead by two sets and a break. Alcaraz gained the decisive break of the set in the 10th game, striking a number of stunning forehand winners to keep his chances alive.

Alcaraz then battled from 3-5, 0/40 in the fourth set to stay in the clash. Alcaraz saved the first championship point when Sinner fired his forehand on the run just long. Sinner then missed a second-serve return and could only find the net on the forehand during a baseline exchange. After saving all three championship points, he broke Sinner’s serve in the next game and then powered through the tie-break to force a fifth set.

Alcaraz looked on the verge of victory himself when serving for the match at 5-4, but he was unable to close out. Sinner broke back, but then the Spaniard hit a purple patch in the fifth-set tie-break, crushing a number of stunning winners that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. The previous-longest Roland Garros final came between Mats Wilander and Guillermo Vilas in 1982, when Wilander won after four hours and 42 minutes. Alcaraz's victory against Sinner crushed that record by 47 minutes.

Did You Know?
Alcaraz and Sinner have now combined to win each of the past six Grand Slam titles.