The 2024 French Open championship came to a close on Sunday after Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz defeated German star, Aleksandr Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to clinch his first ever French Open Title.
Alcaraz came back from behind to win the championship after Zverev led 2-1 and had only one set to finish the match.
The 21-year old Spanish talent used the fourth and fifth sets to recover, having beaten Zverev 6-1, 6-2 to finish the match in grand style.
The victory now puts Alcaraz as
The youngest man ever to become World No. 1 (19 years, 4 months, 6 days old).
He also became the youngest man ever to win a Grand Slam title on all three surfaces (21 years, 1 month, 3 days old).
And as well as the first man to win his first three major titles on three different surfaces.
“It was a great journey, these last two weeks. It’s a tournament I wanted to win since I was a little kid – when I watched this tournament since five or six – so this is a dream come true,”Alcaraz told Eurosport.
“It was difficult, Zverev played great tennis, he put great pressure on me with his serves. I won the first set but I could have really lost it. It was tricky with the wind and the surface but we have to find a way and adapt our games to the conditions.” The Spaniard added.
The Spaniard became the youngest man to win a Grand Slam title on all three surfaces, adding the Paris clay to his hard-court US Open success and last year’s win on the Wimbledon grass.
Alcaraz set the game ablaze when he dispatched the first set with utmost specialty, delivering it in just 43 minutes, recording a 6-3 win.
But Zverev who was taking advantage of his special forehand to return the match to one set apiece in the second set, beating Alcaraz 2-6 and then 5-7 to lead 2-1 with just one set to be declared champion.
‘Carlos, Carlos’ chanted the crowd on Philippe Chatrier in scenes usually only reserved for 14-time winner Nadal.
They were on their feet again when an astonishing flicked backhand cross-court winner helped secure another break.
Four minutes later the man from Murcia was lying on his back, Nadal style, celebrating a victory he has always seemed destined for.
“You’re already a Hall of Famer and you already achieved so much,” said Zverev. “You’ve already achieved so much at 21 years old – incredible player. It’s not the last time he’ll win this.
“It’s been amazing, I really love to play on this beautiful court – I’ll be back next year.”
