By Udoh Ndifreke, Abuja
Another marathon effort, another major triumph in the young career of Carlos Alcaraz.
The third seed on Sunday outlasted Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to lift the trophy at Roland Garros. With his four-hour, 19-minute win in Paris, the 21-year-old Alcaraz became the first champion at the clay-court major to win a semi-final and final each in five sets since Rod Laver in 1962.
Just as he did against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, Alcaraz kept cool after falling two-sets-to-one behind to secure a gritty victory against Zverev.
The Spaniard, who arrived at Roland Garros having not competed for three weeks due to a right arm injury, raised his level to win 12 of the final 15 games and secure a major crown for the third consecutive season.
With his victory, Alcaraz became the youngest man to win a Grand Slam on three different surfaces after his triumphs on hard courts at the 2022 US Open and grass at 2023 Wimbledon. He is now 11-1 in five-set matches, with his only loss coming against Matteo Berrettini at the 2022 Australian Open.
