By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday June 10, 2024
Paris – Carlos Alcaraz rallied from a two sets to one deficit to defeat Alexander Zverev for his first Roland-Garros title on Sunday in Paris, the 21-year-old becoming the youngest man to ever win three majors on different surfaces, and just the seventh to achieve the feat in history.
Alcaraz, who had to battle a right forearm injury all spring, won back-to-back five-setters over Jannik Sinner and Zverev to capture his third major title and improve to 3-0 lifetime in Grand Slam finals.
Was it the moment he was most proud of? After some deliberation, he said yes.
“That's a difficult question,” he told reporters. “I mean, obviously winning the US Open (in 2022), when I reached for the first time the No. 1, something that I dreamt of since I started playing tennis, getting my first Grand Slam. So it was pretty special.
“But honestly, the way that I won Wimbledon, beating Novak Djokovic in five sets, has been a great achievement for me.”
Tough choices, right? All tennis players should be so blessed.
Alcaraz eventually revealed that the Roland Garros title is the one that means the most to him – for now.
“Right now lifting the Roland Garros trophy, knowing everything that I have been through the last month with the injuries and all that stuff, I don’t know,” he said, adding:
“Probably this one. Probably this one is the moment that I'm really proud about myself, because everything that I have done the last month just to be ready for this tournament with my team, a lot of talks with them. You know, if I have to practice, if I can't practice or discuss with them, has been really difficult for me, honestly.
“So I'm going to say this one is the [one that I am most proud of].”
Alcaraz should be proud. He showed grit and staying power in his run to the title, and demonstrated that he learned from his difficulties in 2023, when cramping sabotaged his semifinal against Novak Djokovic in Paris.
He didn’t play a perfect match on Sunday, but he was on song in the pivotal moments and was the stronger athlete as the match went into the fourth and fifth sets.
With his win Alcaraz improves to 11-1 lifetime in five-setters.
“I know that when I'm playing a fifth set you have to give everything and you have to give your heart. I mean, in those moments, it's where the top players give their best tennis,” he said. “So as I said many times, I wanted to be one of the best tennis players in the world, so I have to give an extra in those moments in the fifth set, I have to show the opponent that I am fresh, I'm like we are playing the first game of the match.”