Breaking News: Alexander Zverev Has Accident After He Was…………….read more.
How’s that for an emotional rollercoaster? Carlos Alcaraz spoke about both suffering and embracing it after his semi-final victory over Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros, and he certainly took it to the next level in his first French Open final against Alexander Zverev on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest player to reach the finals at three different majors on varying surfaces after defeating the Italian. He then made history as the youngest player to win those titles by extending his unbeaten record in major finals to three for three, overcoming the No. 4 seed in over four hours with a scoreline of 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
Friday’s five-set semi-final victory marked Alcaraz’s 10th in extended matches at Grand Slams before turning 22, tying him with Marat Safin. His win on Sunday brought his total to 11, surpassing Safin and placing him just one behind Michael Chang and Bjorn Borg, who hold the Open Era record.
Alcaraz emphasized the importance of finding joy in suffering, especially on clay at Roland Garros, where long rallies and marathon matches are the norm. He stated, “You have to fight, you have to suffer, but as I told my team, you have to enjoy suffering.”
Both Alcaraz and Zverev had challenging paths to the final. Zverev had to overcome a series of semi-final losses over the past three years to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, and Casper Ruud, each time narrowly missing out on a title shot in Paris. The 2022 semi-final against Nadal was particularly painful, as Zverev pushed the King of Clay to two extended sets before a severe ankle injury forced him to retire from the match. Two years later, Zverev finally got his revenge against Nadal, although the victory was somewhat expected, given Nadal’s limited time on the court leading up to Roland Garros.
