Carlos Alcaraz clinched the 2024 French Open title in a thrilling five-set final against Alexander Zverev, a victory many anticipated given his immense talent.
The third seed triumphed with scores of 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 on the storied clay of Roland Garros.
Despite a shaky start marked by inconsistency and lower confidence compared to his previous major finals at the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon last year, the 21-year-old Spaniard emerged victorious. This win made him the youngest man to secure Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.
Alcaraz, who grew up playing on clay in Murcia, realized his childhood dream by winning the French Open. Upon clinching the match with a forehand winner after four hours and 19 minutes, he celebrated by falling onto his back, reminiscent of his idol, 14-time champion Rafael Nadal.
“I used to watch the tournament on television and now I’m lifting the title,” said Alcaraz, who was awarded the trophy by six-time champion Bjorn Borg.
Alexander Zverev, the German fourth seed, entered the match on a 12-match winning streak on clay and aimed to secure his first Grand Slam title. Despite his strong performance, Zverev fell short in his second Grand Slam final defeat, following his loss to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.
“I feel like I did everything I could,” Zverev remarked. “Carlos played fantastic. He played better than me in the fourth and fifth set. It’s how it is.”
