Carlos Alcaraz stormed to French Open glory for the first time in his career with an engrossing five-set triumph over Alexander Zverev on Court-Philippe Chatrier in Sunday's men's final. Already a hard-court champion from the 2022 US Open and grass Grand Slam winner at Wimbledon 2023, the 21-year-old completed the surfaces set with an extremely hard-fought 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 victory on the red clay. Alcaraz was already the youngest man to reach major finals on all three surfaces and is therefore now the youngest male in history to become a Grand Slam champion on all three - and the first in the Open Era to win each of his first three on three different surfaces - while prolonging Zverev's agonising wait for a major title.
Here, Sports Mole analyses how Alcaraz managed to produce an exhilarating fightback to earn his historic Roland-Garros crown. That's how you seal the first set 💪 #RolandGarros @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.
com/a1THZmb1UP The worst possible start that Zverev could have made, the German double-faulted on his first two points and was broken early doors on a scintillating Alcaraz forehand winner, but the Spaniard was also the victim of a shaky start as Zverev broke back immediately. Both men soon began to settle, although it was Alcaraz who took the match by the scruff of the neck, flaunting his remarkable court coverage and returning position deep behind the baseline to break to love in the fifth game. The Spaniard comfortably backed up the break before lettin.
