PARIS – Carlos Alcaraz of Spain has reached his first French Open final after a grueling five-set battle against Jannik Sinner on Friday (08 June 2024).
Alcaraz, a two-time Grand Slam champion, triumphed 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match that lasted four hours and nine minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. This victory makes the 21-year-old the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam final on all three surfaces.
“I hope to play many, many more matches like this one against Jannik, but it’s one of the toughest I’ve played for sure,” said Alcaraz. “I’m really happy about everything I did today. I waited for my moment until I took it.”
In the final, Alcaraz will face Alexander Zverev, who overcame two-time runner-up Casper Ruud. Zverev, seeded fourth, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, avenging his semifinal loss to Ruud 12 months ago. This victory marks Zverev’s second Grand Slam final appearance, following three consecutive semifinal exits at Roland Garros.
Alcaraz, aiming to become the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on clay, grass, and hard courts, previously claimed the US Open title in 2022 on a hard court and the Wimbledon title in 2023 on grass. Zverev, 27, holds a slight edge over Alcaraz with a 5-4 career record, including a win in their only previous Roland Garros encounter in the 2022 quarterfinals.
(ia/mnm/Source: Xinhua/PNA)
