Carlos Alcaraz wins the fourth set 6-1 to ensure everything is on the line in the fifth and final set of the 2024 French Open final
With Zverev one set away from winning his first Grand Slam title, Alcaraz was going to put him to work to achieve it. The conditions were a little more difficult in the fourth set, the sun was less blinding than before and Alcaraz came out quickly. He broke Zverev in the second game: two lob shots included, a backhand lob winner and then a superb forehand down the line to take a 2-0 lead.
Alcaraz then held on for love and continued to stump Zverev as he stayed deep and countered anything Zverev threw at him. And with the most delicious drop shot, Alcaraz took a 4-0 lead.
Zverev recovered, but Alcaraz needed treatment on the next change. A medical timeout was taken and his left leg received attention. But he showed little sign of it hurting his game, as he immediately counterattacked Zverev to take a 5-1 lead.
Alcaraz tried hard in the last game, but finally took advantage of the opportunity to take the fourth court 6-1. The physiotherapist returns to Alcaraz.
Alexander Zverev wins the third set 7-5 and takes a 2-1 lead in the 2024 French Open final
If golf has its day of action on the Saturday of a Major, that could be the third set here. It was a nervy, topsy-turvy affair, with momentum shifting in the blink of an eye.
Alcaraz snapped a five-match losing streak while holding serve early in the third, but Zverev's first serve again proved difficult for Alcaraz to control, with Zverev holding to love in the second game.
Alcaraz's serve was still a little off, committing a double fault at the start of the third game (his fifth of the match so far), but despite that, he seemed to have regained his rhythm, holding serve with a pair of shouts of “Let's go!” to announce the moment. But Zverev made quick work of the next service game, finding it increasingly easier.
The fifth game could have been the turning point in the match for Alcaraz: he managed to build two beautiful points, hitting a backhand winner down the line and then catching Zverev with a dropshot. The match resembled chess: both players tested each other, Zverev had not yet made an unforced error in this set and Alcaraz held serve.
Alcaraz then forced a triple break point on Zverev's serve and missed it on the first request, leaving Zverev screaming at his box. But with the lead at 4-2, Alcaraz's first serve was getting him into all sorts of trouble, and he had to save three break points (again using his dropshot brilliantly) to hold serve as Zverev gained momentum.
At 5-3 up, Alcaraz had a chance to win the set, but Zverev somehow recovered. Zverev took advantage of the break point as Alcaraz was caught near the net and slipped while trying to return a forehand, leaving things level once again.
Alcaraz's forehand became increasingly erratic, the ball bouncing awkwardly off the baseline, as he squared two shots in the eleventh game, giving Zverev two break points. He duly accepted the first offer to now give her the opportunity to serve. Alcaraz was clearly frustrated by the change, saying there is not enough clay on the court and calling it “unbelievable.”
It was Zverev's turn to serve the set and a set point was given at 40-30. But after a tense play, it was Alcaraz who managed to force the error. Alcaraz then forced break point with a brilliant forehand down the line, but Zverev saved it and a brilliant smash gave him set point number two, which he duly took with the match at 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Zverev fights back to win the second set 6-2 and level the game at one set apiece
A few more celebrities to kick off the start of the second set: big screen stars Clive Owen and Sophie Marceau are here, as are French rugby duo Antoine Dupont and Anthony Jelonch. Also present is Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Back on court, Zverev seemed increasingly exasperated at the start of the second set, and at one point threatened to test the durability of the clay with his racket. But having missed three break points early in the second set on Alcaraz's serve, Zverev must have been left wondering exactly what he could do to regain his footing in the match. Meanwhile, Alcaraz varied his shot selection, disguising beautiful drop shots and then unleashing his powerful forehand crosscourt or backhand winners down the line. Zverev and Alcaraz held serve, leaving Zverev screaming in his box for answers.
But then came the potential momentum shift when Zverev broke Alcaraz's serve to take a 3-2 lead in the second set. The wind was picking up, swirling around Philippe-Chatrier and after forcing two break points, Zverev took the second, with an uncharacteristically wild forehand from Alcaraz giving him the game. Zverev then held his own serve, including a penultimate point that included a wonderfully complex move at the net, to maintain a 4-2 lead.
Zverev's forehand became increasingly lethal, firing one down the line and then another crosscourt winner to force another break point in the seventh game. Alcaraz managed to nullify that threat, but Zverev returned to his case, earning another break point and an unusual double fault gave Zverev a double break.
And Zverev served the set easily, taking the second set 6-2. The French Open is perfectly positioned at one set apiece.
Carlos Alcaraz takes the first set 6-3
Just like yesterday's women's singles final, there was more interpretive dancing to get things started. It must be a nightmare for the ground crew who have just swept the pitch and left a pristine surface, just a bunch of dancers to scrape things up.
But there was a spectacular flyover, with eight Patroille de France planes painting the sky with the colors of the French tricolor. Blue, white and red smoke hung over the Philippe-Chatrier court as the players walked out.
With Bjorn Borg and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach in the front row of the presidents' box, it was Zverev who served first. But after consecutive double faults, he changed his racket: only two points in the entire match. It wasn't enough to save his serve, as Alcaraz broke him in the first game of the final.
Any initial joy proved to be short-lived, with Zverev breaking in the next game and Alcaraz's serve also a little off. But after two holds, it was Alcaraz who took control, punishing Zverev's errors to break serve and take a 3-2 lead. Alcaraz held comfortably in the next game and then earned two more break points. It seemed like Zverev was caught between two minds: attacking Alcaraz or trying to make a mistake, but it was some tricky defending that brought the game back to two.
Zverev held on, but had a hard time getting close to Alcaraz with his serve. Alcaraz's shots were causing Zverev all kinds of problems as Alcaraz got within one game of taking the first set. And Alcaraz wasted no time, varying his shots, tricking Zverev, to break him in the next game and take the first set 6-3.
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev meet in the men's singles final of the 2024 French Open
PARIS – There will be a new name on the men's singles trophy at Roland Garros on Sunday when Carlos Alcaraz faces Alexander Zverev in the 2024 French Open final.
Alcaraz has already won the US Open and Wimbledon, so a victory on Sunday would complete a trio of Slams on each surface. For Zverev, this is his second Grand Slam final, after losing the US Open final to Dominic Thiem in 2020.
For a long time this trophy was in the hands of Rafael Nadal: the Spaniard won the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy 14 times. Novak Djokovic has won it three times here, and Roger Federer won it in 2009. But a new generation is emerging and for a long time, Alcaraz has been the emerging man on clay.
He reached the quarterfinals here in 2022, losing to Zverev, and then the semifinal last year, where he lost to Djokovic. Last year his performance was hampered by severe cramps, but that is something he has learned to manage. He came to the French Open with concerns about his right arm, an injury that caused him to miss part of his clay court swing. In the early rounds, by his own admission, he couldn't go 100% with his forehand, but as the rounds have fallen, Alcaraz's durability has improved.
He managed to defeat the likes of Sebastian Korda, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas on his journey to the finalists, where he faced current world number one Jannik Sinner. Both players squeezed each other in that semifinal, but after five sets, it was Alcaraz who recovered.
“You have to find joy in suffering, that's the key,” he said after the victory over Sinner.
For Zverev, his journey began with the most difficult task possible: facing Nadal in the first round. He beat him in straight sets and then eliminated David Goffin, but needed five sets to dispatch Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune. But he was in ruthless form against Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals and then overcame a difficult tie with Casper Ruud in the semi-final.
“Some of my worst and best memories are in [Philippe Chatrier] and I'm going to give it my all on Sunday,” Zverev said.
While Zverev was playing at Roland Garros, a trial was taking place in his home country of Germany, where he had been accused of domestic abuse by an ex-girlfriend. On Friday it was announced that Zverev had reached an out-of-court settlement with the woman.
