Done Deal: Alexander Zverev Has Signed Four Year Contract With……………read more.
The 21-year-old made history by becoming the youngest player to reach the finals of three different majors on varied surfaces after defeating the Italian. He then extended his streak by winning all three finals, claiming victory over the No. 4 seed in a grueling match that lasted over four hours, ultimately triumphing 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
Friday’s five-set semifinal win was the Spaniard’s 10th marathon match victory at majors before turning 22 in the Open Era, tying him with Marat Safin. With Sunday’s five-set win, he reached 11, surpassing the retired Russian and coming within one match of a record shared by Michael Chang and Bjorn Borg.
Before turning 22, only Michael Chang and Bjorn Borg (each with 12) have won more Grand Slam five-setters than Carlos Alcaraz (10, tying with Marat Safin). Alcaraz, reflecting on his win over Sinner, said, “You have to find joy in suffering. That’s the key, especially here on clay at Roland Garros. Long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets—you have to fight, you have to suffer, but as I told my team, you have to enjoy suffering.”
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Alexander Zverev
Both players took challenging paths to reach this year’s final. Zverev overcame three consecutive years of semifinal losses to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, and Casper Ruud, narrowly missing out on a title match in Paris.
The second of those losses was particularly painful. Despite dropping the first set to Nadal in the 2022 semifinals, Zverev pushed the King of Clay through two extended sets and forced a tie-break in the second before a severe ankle injury forced him to retire in a wheelchair.
Two years later, Zverev exacted some revenge by defeating Nadal, although it was somewhat expected given the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s limited time on court leading up to Roland Garros.
