Carlos Alcaraz has won the French Open for the second straight year, defeating Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set thriller (4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 [10-2]) to claim his fifth Grand Slam title. The match lasted five hours and 29 minutes—the longest French Open final in history and the second-longest Grand Slam final ever. It was also only the third time a major final had been decided by a tiebreaker.

Given their recent dominance—either Sinner or Alcaraz has won the last five Slams and seven of the last ten—it’s surprising they hadn’t faced off in a major final before. Both entered with perfect records in Slam finals (Alcaraz 4-0, Sinner 3-0).

The match was a battle from the start. Their first game alone lasted 12 minutes, featuring 16 points and five deuces. If the entire match had kept that intensity, it would have lasted 10 hours. The first set was a tense exchange, like boxers feeling each other out in an opening round.

Sinner took control in the second set, but Alcaraz clawed back to force a tiebreak. Still, Sinner’s precision and ability to return nearly every shot frustrated Alcaraz, who often plays at full throttle. Experts like Andre Agassi and Brad Gilbert have noted that Alcaraz—like Aryna Sabalenka—could benefit from a steadier, more controlled approach, something Sinner (and Coco Gauff) excel at.

Everything flipped in the third set. Alcaraz broke early and unleashed some jaw-dropping power, though the sheer speed of their shots (both regularly hitting forehands over 100 mph) was sometimes lost in the broadcast angles. Alcaraz took the set 6-4, handing Sinner his first lost set of the tournament. The crowd—including stars like Pharrell Williams, Natalie Portman, and Spike Lee—erupted.

The stats painted a grim picture: Sinner had never won a match this long, and Alcaraz had never come back from two sets down. The fourth set was another war of attrition until Sinner broke Alcaraz at love, putting himself in position to serve for the match.

Then came the twist: Up 40-0 at 5-3, Sinner collapsed, losing five straight points to give Alcaraz the game. The crowd went wild. Alcaraz broke back, leveled at 5-5, and rode the momentum to force a tiebreak. The stadium chanted “CAR-LOS” as he surged ahead, taking the set and pushing the match past four hours.

In the fifth, both players dug deep, but Alcaraz’s relentless energy and clutch play in the final tiebreak sealed his historic victory. It was a match for the ages—one that cemented their rivalry as the future of men’s tennis.The match went to a decisive fifth set, filled with intense rallies, momentum shifts, and clever plays. In the sixth game, a missed line call—a rarity since the French Open still relies on human judges rather than electronic systems—frustrated the usually calm Sinner, putting him behind 2-4. But he fought back to level at 5-5. From there, both players delivered jaw-dropping shots only they could pull off, pushing the set to 6-6 and then into a tiebreak—a thrilling, nerve-wracking display of tennis.

Alcaraz ultimately dominated the tiebreak, winning 10-2 (in major finals, the final-set tiebreak goes to 10 instead of the usual seven)—an hour and 45 minutes after Sinner had held three match points. The final point was pure magic: Alcaraz chased down an impossible ball, then curved a forehand around the net post, watching it land in. He collapsed onto the clay, covering his face in disbelief, while his mother, who had been nervously hiding her face in the stands, finally relaxed and cheered.

After such a grueling battle, both players were subdued during the trophy ceremony, but their mutual respect was undeniable. Each praised the other, with Alcaraz acknowledging that Sinner—still only 23—will have many more chances to win titles. At just 22 himself, Alcaraz was asked if he’d commemorate this victory with another tattoo (he got an Eiffel Tower after last year’s Paris win). With a grin, he replied, “I’ll have to ask my dad.”

This rivalry is already legendary—and we can’t wait to see what comes next.