Carlos Alcaraz is once again the champion in Paris, having come from two sets to love down to win the French Open.
A truly miraculous afternoon of tennis, in what is now the longest final in the history of this event, Jannik Sinner seemed poised to cruise to his maiden Roland Garros title after he claimed the second-set tiebreak.
However, the Spanish superstar had other ideas, capitalising on fatigue and sharpening his own senses to complete the most improbable comeback.
The match went back to back, with the two best players in the world proving why they were just that with a historic clash that ebbed and flowed. It will go down as one of the greatest Grand Slam final matches of all time, decided by a nail-biting Championship tiebreaker.
It could not have been an event as momentous as this without a little controversy though, with one particular flashpoint in the fifth and final set drawing scrutiny.
Brad Gilbert, a former coach of Coco Gauff’s, has taken to X to call it out.
Brad Gilbert blasts French Open final
As Carlos Alcaraz sought to consolidate his sole break mid-way through the fifth set, he hit a vicious first serve.
To the naked eye, it jumped up off the line and left Jannik Sinner stranded, with the 22-year-old then putting away the ball to win the game.
However, the Italian had plenty of complaints for the chair umpire, who felt that the serve should have been called out.
Hawkeye, which is not in operation at this event, confirmed to those at home that the ball was in fact out. By some distance.
Gilbert was not happy, and would make his feelings known by writing: ‘It’s insanity there not using hawkeye that serve was clearly out’.
Coco Gauff won the French Open just yesterday, a former pupil of Gilbert’s. Sinner, frustratingly for him, could not follow in her footsteps.
Carlos Alcaraz breaks a huge personal record to win French Open
In winning the French Open for a second time, he has broken all manner of records, whilst also preserving a few crucial ones of his own.
After all, he has retained his 100% record in Grand Slam finals, whilst also dashing Sinner’s own.
Not only that, but he has finally won a Grand Slam match where he was two sets to love down, with the closest he ever came ironically against fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini back in 2022.
Nobody has ever questioned his commitment or quality, but when falling behind Alcaraz has simply not been able to turn things around. Until now, on the biggest stage of all.
Controversy will certainly follow this match after that key Hawkeye moment, but whoever had won this final would have been a deserved champion.
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