This time, neither the weight of the occasion nor the stature of his opponent could derail Carlos Alcaraz. Twelve months after the 21-year-old Spaniard was overcome by tension-induced cramp against Novak Djokovic in the last four of the French Open, he held his nerve to win an uneven five-set struggle with Jannik Sinner, the incoming world No 1, and reach his first final at Roland Garros.
This time, Alcaraz was ready to suffer, ready to grasp the opportunity that eluded him last summer. With his 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory, he did exactly that, becoming the youngest man in history to reach grand slam finals on each of the game’s three surfaces, after winning the US Open on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows in 2022 and prevailing on the grass of Wimbledon’s Centre Court last summer.
It is an impressive achievement, but not one on which he intends to dwell. Not with a final to play on Sunday against Alexander Zverev, who later defeated an ailing Casper Ruud in four sets.
Alcaraz recalled afterwards how he used to run home from school to watch Roland Garros. Now he wants to add his own name to the rich tradition of Spanish success in Paris; to stand alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya.
“It’s something great, breaking new records for me is great,” said Alcaraz of his multi-surface milestone. “Before the final, it’s something that I really don’t want to think about, but obviously that means that I’m playing good tennis on every surface. That is something that I really wanted to do when I started on the tour, so it’s a great feeling. But right now I don’t want to think about it.”
The same focus was apparent against Sinner, who set a blistering early pace, suffocating Alcaraz with his depth and accuracy off the ground to reel off the first four games of the afternoon. Two days after Djokovic’s withdrawal from the tournament confirmed his ascent to world No 1 when the new ranking list is published next week, the 22-year-old Italian seemed intent on marking the occasion in style. With nine games played, Alcaraz had held serve just once.
Sinner’s level had to drop eventually and, as it did, Alcaraz gradually began to find his customary fluency and range. Forehands that had flown out or careered off his frame in the early stages began to find their mark. As his serve began to bite, so the winners started to flow: he produced 13 in the second set, to just three from Sinner. Yet there was greater margin and consistency, too, Alcaraz increasing his net clearance by applying heavier topspin to his groundstrokes before pulling the trigger when the right ball presented itself.
The lopsided nature of the first two sets epitomised the pattern of the afternoon. For all the buzz surrounding the ninth meeting between the pair, it was not quite the classic many had anticipated. Nor was it tennis on fast forward, in the mould of their US Open quarter-final of two years ago – partly because clay promotes a more attritional style of play, but mainly because the two men rarely produced their best at the same time.
It was a match of fits and starts, never more so than in the third set, where Sinner received treatment for cramp in his right arm and both legs, yet managed to come out on top regardless as Alcaraz curiously failed to go for the jugular. That bucked the wider trend of the contest, which was ultimately determined by Alcaraz’s ability to find inspiration at the key moments.
“The key was that I took my chances,” said Alcaraz. “The break points that I had, I took.”
The final game of the fourth set, in which Alcaraz produced a magical lob and Sinner a horrendous miss, was a case in point. Having earned the first break point of the set with a rally of patient aggression, Alcaraz seized the opportunity, pulling Sinner wide before steering a backhand into the open court.
A similar blend of belligerence and brilliance earned the Spaniard a decisive break in the second game of the decider. Having established a foothold in the game with some diligent rallying, Alcaraz produced an extraordinary running pass at deuce, prodding an acutely angled backhand for a winner, before a thumping forehand sealed the deal. In all, Alcaraz converted six of his 10 break points, while Sinner won just six from 14.
“For sure, the sets he won, he played better on the important points,” said Sinner. “I think that was the key.”
Zverev later defeated Casper Ruud, a finalist for the past two years, to reach the second major final of his career and his first at Roland Garros. Ruud, whose level dipped after an encouraging start, was hampered by a stomach problem as he fell to a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 defeat.