French Open 2024: Carlos Alcaraz to face Alexander Zverev in men’s final, a first for both
- Spaniard has two grand slam titles but neither player has ever reached this stage at Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz will face Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles French Open final after coming through a thrilling five-set match with Jannik Sinner, while the German beat Casper Ruud in four sets.
The Spaniard had started poorly and fell behind early in his semi-final and trailed two sets to one.
By the end of the latest instalment in this burgeoning rivalry between two young, talented players, an engaging five-setter that lasted four hours and nine minutes, Alcaraz actually had accumulated fewer total points, 147-145.
That, of course, is not the score that matters as he came out with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sinner to get to his first final in Paris. It made the 21-year-old from Spain the youngest man to reach a grand slam title match on three surfaces.
“You have to find the joy [while] suffering,” Alcaraz said. “That’s the key – even more on clay, here at Roland Garros. Long rallies.
“Four-hour matches. Five sets. You have to fight. You have to suffer. But as I told my team many, many times, you have to enjoy suffering.”
He won championships at the US Open in 2022 on hard courts and at Wimbledon in 2023 on grass.
