Carlos Alcaraz is on the brink of making history as he aims to become the youngest male tennis player to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces. The 21-year-old Spaniard will face Alexander Zverev in the French Open final on Sunday.
Alcaraz, who defeated Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon last year and clinched the US Open title as a teenager in 2022, is widely considered a favorite against Zverev, who is still seeking his first Grand Slam victory.
Alcaraz’s journey to the final included a thrilling five-set victory over incoming world number one Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
Reflecting on his aspirations, Alcaraz expressed his desire to join the ranks of Spanish tennis legends who have triumphed at Roland Garros, including his childhood hero Rafael Nadal, who won his first French Open when Alcaraz was just two years old, and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Alcaraz’s connection to the French Open is deeply personal, having grown up watching the tournament and idolizing Nadal’s dominance. He reminisced about his excitement watching matches after school and his ambition to see his name alongside those of other Spanish champions like Carlos Moya and Albert Costa.
Regarded as a potential successor to the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, and Roger Federer, Alcaraz has embraced the challenge and is living up to the high expectations. Sunday’s final will mark the first time since 2016 that a new champion will be crowned at Roland Garros and the first final featuring two first-time finalists since Nadal’s debut victory in 2005.
Alcaraz has won both of his previous Grand Slam finals, and a win against Zverev would solidify his status as a versatile champion across all surfaces. With a potential victory, Alcaraz would head into the Australian Open with the opportunity to complete a career Grand Slam at a younger age than Federer was when he won his first major.
Emphasizing the importance of excelling on every surface, Alcaraz aims to follow in the footsteps of tennis greats like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, all of whom have found success across different court types.
Carlos Alcaraz considers himself adept at adapting his style to any surface. While he grew up playing on clay, he feels more comfortable on hard courts, though he believes his game is well-suited to clay as well.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev hopes to end years of disappointment. Once seen as the primary challenger to the dominance of Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer, the 27-year-old is still seeking his first Grand Slam title.
The world number four is in his first major final since losing to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, where he led by two sets and a break before collapsing. Reflecting on that loss, Zverev stated he wasn’t ready then but now feels more prepared, emphasizing that he’s no longer a kid and wondering if not now, then when.
Zverev entered the French Open under the shadow of a court case in Berlin over allegations of assaulting an ex-girlfriend. The case was dropped after a settlement was reached just hours before his semi-final win over Casper Ruud, who was struggling with illness.
The court accused Zverev of briefly choking his former partner Brenda Patea with both hands in May 2020. As part of the settlement, Zverev agreed to pay 200,000 euros ($217,000), with most of the money going to state coffers and the remainder to a charitable fund, according to a court spokeswoman.
When a reporter asked if he was disappointed the case was dropped and he couldn’t clear his name in court, Zverev reacted angrily, asserting that cases aren’t dropped if the defendant is guilty. He insisted he never wanted to hear another question about the subject again. Despite these challenges, Zverev remains hopeful of making headlines with a Grand Slam title, holding a 5-4 winning record over Alcaraz heading into Sunday’s final.
