After an intense five-set battle, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz won the 2024 French Open with a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory over No. 4 Alexander Zverev. This is the 21-year-old's third Grand Slam trophy.
Sunday's result helped Alcaraz make history as the youngest man to win a major on all three surfaces, passing his countryman Rafael Nadal who did so at 22 years old.
Alcaraz laid on the court and took in the moment after an intense four hours and 20 minutes. Encounters between Zverev and Alcaraz always deliver, and Sunday's meeting was no different. Their head-to-head is now even at 5-5.
Zverev was off to a rough start as he registered two double faults at the beginning of the match. Alcaraz took advantage of the opportunity and gained some momentum. After 43 minutes, Alcaraz took the first set against the opponent who had beaten him in the quarterfinals of this tournament two years ago.
Alcaraz was first to serve in the second set and also found himself struggling. He picked up his second double fault late in the first game, but held on to take a 1-0 lead. Instead of knocking him down, this became a wakeup call for Zverev and the German star went on to win the second and third sets.
Alcaraz had a strong showing in the fourth set despite needing a medical timeout to take care of his left thigh. He forced the decider and took care of business against a persistent Zverev, who is still on the search for his first major title.
