Carlos Alcaraz pulled off a historic comeback to defend his Roland Garros crown, outlasting world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in what turned out to be the longest French Open men’s singles final ever. In a five-set epic that lasted 5 hours and 30 minutes, the Spaniard overturned a two-set deficit to triumph 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 and become the first man since Rafael Nadal to win back-to-back titles at the clay-court Slam. And now the master is congratulating the student on his epic win.

It was a showcase of sheer grit and mental steel from Carlos Alcaraz, who clawed his way back into the contest after Sinner took control early on. The Italian let his grip slip slightly in the third and fourth sets. He had 3 championship points in the fourth set, but Alcaraz found a new gear and took the match to a decider.

While Alcaraz broke early in the fifth game, the World No.1 didn’t give up and broke back to take the match to a super tiebreak. In the end, Alcaraz held his nerve to seal the win and deny Sinner a maiden French Open title and his third consecutive major title in a match that will be remembered for years.

No man in the Open Era has saved three championship points in a Grand Slam final, and Alcaraz is just the third man to save at least one championship point and win a major final. He follows Gaston Gaudio, who saved two against Guillermo Coria at the 2004 French Open, and Novak Djokovic, who saved two against Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2019.

Among the many who applauded the 22-year-old’s heroics was none other than 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal himself. The 14-time Roland Garros champion posted on X, “What an incredible ending to @rolandgarros! 🔥 Congratulations @carlosalcaraz! 🏆💪🏼 Congrats also @janniksin for the great battle 👏🏻” (translated from Spanish). And just like that, the King of Clay passed the baton with class to the next Spanish maestro.

Interesting fact: Carlos Alcaraz won his fifth title at exactly the same age as his idol Rafael Nadal did, aged 22 years, one month, and three days old.

After bidding farewell to professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season, Rafael Nadal was honored during the opening week of the French Open with a tribute befitting his legendary status. Roland Garros immortalized the 14-time champion by placing a plaque bearing one of his footprints on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

In a moment that spoke volumes, Carlos Alcaraz paused before his semifinal clash with Lorenzo Musetti to take a quick photo of Nadal’s plaque. Reflecting on that moment after the match, Alcaraz explained its significance.

“I think it was the first time I could warm up before the match here on Chatrier,” he said, via The Tennis Letter. “So I tried to make the most of the time. Took a bit of time to take a picture of that. Having a little bit of Rafa Nadal on Philippe-Chatrier while I’m playing is a great inspiration. I try not to think about it too much in the match. But in difficult matches, I think about the effort and the level of Rafa, how he’s fighting all the time. He never gives up. I try to think about it and try to do it myself. All I could do is take a memory of that plaque from Rafa Nadal.”

Alcaraz would later channel that same spirit of resilience in the final.

Carlos Alcaraz draws inspiration from Rafael Nadal’s fighting spirit

The comeback drew parallels to Rafael Nadal’s iconic fightback at the 2022 Australian Open. That year, Nadal, returning from a lengthy injury layoff, rallied from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev to clinch his 21st Grand Slam title.

After Carlos Alcaraz’s match, the 22-year-old gave a nod to Nadal and told France TV, “When I was feeling worse, I had no more strength, I tried to think about Rafa, about all the comebacks he made.”

With this Roland Garros triumph, Alcaraz became just the ninth man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam final after trailing by two sets. He also became the third male player to save a championship point and go on to win a Grand Slam final, joining Gaston Gaudio, who saved two against Guillermo Coria in the 2004 French Open final, and Novak Djokovic, who famously saved two against Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2019. No male player in the Open Era has ever saved three championship points in a major final, a feat that Alcaraz accomplished.

Alcaraz’s meteoric rise continues to be etched into the record books. With Grand Slam titles at the 2022 US Open, Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, and Roland Garros in 2024 and 2025, he now has five major titles from just 17 appearances. In the Open Era, only Bjorn Borg has claimed more Grand Slam titles (six) in so few attempts.

With memories of Nadal on Chatrier and a fierce will of his own, Carlos Alcaraz is building a legacy that continues to echo the greatness of the champions who came before him. What’s next for the 5-time Grand Slam champion?