Defeating Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history, Carlos Alcaraz equaled the number of Grand Slam championships when he was the same age as senior Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz won the Roland Garros 2025 Tennis Tournament after a dramatic final at dawn 9-6. Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) after 5 hours and 30 minutes of play, winning the 2025 Roland Garros championship and setting the record for the longest final in tournament history.
This is considered one of the best Grand Slam finals ever, with eye-catching doubles and unpredictable scenarios.
The match ended with a series of super tie-breaks in the fifth set – the first time applied at Roland Garros. Alcaraz won the first 7 points in a row and ended the match with a winner along the line, affirming his bravery at the decisive moment.
Sinner came very close to her first Grand Slam title when she led 2-1 and had three match-points in the fourth set. However, he missed the opportunity and let Alcaraz rise strongly. The Spaniard won the last two sets in a row through a series of tie-breaks, extending his unbeaten record in all 5 Grand Slam finals played.
The Spaniard's 5th Grand Slam championship is also an interesting statistic. At the age of 22, 1 month and 3 days, Alcaraz won his fifth Grand Slam – exactly the same age as Rafa Nadal when he achieved the same feat.
Alcaraz expressed: "I think first of all, I need to realize that I have done it. To be honest, the coincidence of winning the 5th Grand Slam at the same age as Rafa Nadal... I think it's fate. It's a statistic that I will always keep in mind. Winning my 5th Grand Slam at the same age as Rafa, my idol, my biggest inspiration is a huge honor. Hopefully this is not the end of the story."
This championship makes Alcaraz the third player in the 21st century to successfully defend the Roland Garros title, after Kuerten and Nadal. At the age of 22, he already owns 5 Grand Slams and is the third youngest male tennis player in the Open Era to reach this milestone, after Nadal and Bjorn Borg.
