Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in what has officially become the longest final in Roland Garros history. The Spanish player needed 5 hours and 29 minutes to overcome his Italian opponent with a score of 4:6, 6:7 [4], 6:4, 7:6 [3], 7:6 [2] on the Philippe Chatrier court.
"This was physically the most demanding match I've ever played. When you're out there for over five hours, it becomes as much mental as physical," – Alcaraz might have said after this historic victory.
The epic battle between these two tennis stars shattered the previous record that had stood for 43 years. Before this match, the longest final was played in 1982, when Mats Wilander defeated Guillermo Vilas in four sets (1:6, 7:6, 6:0, 6:4), lasting 4 hours and 42 minutes.
Interestingly, this marks the first time in the tournament's history that a final has exceeded the five-hour mark. Both players demonstrated exceptional skill and endurance throughout the contest.
By the way, Alcaraz is no stranger to lengthy Roland Garros finals. Just last year, in 2024, he defeated Alexander Zverev in a 4-hour and 19-minute five-set match, which now ranks as the third longest final in the tournament's history.
The top five longest finals in Roland Garros history also include Ivan Lendl's victory over Wilander in 1987 (4 hours and 17 minutes) and Novak Djokovic's comeback against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021 (4 hours and 11 minutes).
Will we have to wait another four decades to see this new record broken? Given the physical demands of modern tennis, that seems unlikely.
