Carlos Alcaraz has become the youngest male to win a major on all three surfaces after outlasting Alexander Zverev in the French Open Final overnight.
The 21-year-old Spaniard escaped from a 1-2 deficit after three sets to overcome German Zverev in a five-set epic at Roland Garros - 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 - in over four hours.
After already claiming the 2022 US Open on the hard court, and Wimbledon in 2023 on the grass, Alcaraz edged his idol Rafael Nadal in claiming a Grand Slam on the trio of playing surfaces before the age of 22.
It looked dire as Alcaraz suffered cramps and trailed Zverev, but he found something special to overcome his struggles and claim the French Open.
SEN tennis expert and The First Serve’s Brett Phillips was full of praise for Alcaraz after he forced his way to a significant triumph.
“A very deserved champion,” Phillips told SEN Breakfast of Alcaraz.
“Three surfaces he’s conquered now - the hard courts of New York, the grass of Wimbledon, the clay of Roland Garros.
“He’s just got the Australian Open to get under his belt at some point. There’s no doubt he will.”
With Novak Djokovic slowing down, Roger Federer out of the picture and an aging Nadal on the outer, Phillips can see an era of dominance from Alcaraz, as well as new world No.1 Jannik Sinner.
Phillips added: “His level is phenomenal
“He and Jannik Sinner have got a gap on the rest so that’s going to be the biggest rivalry.
“Both should get into double figures in terms of Slams. It will just depend on what the next emerging pack does in Stefanos Tsitsipas, Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and the like.
“I feel like as the years are ticking on that it’s maybe going past them. I don’t know if it will be ‘big three’ numbers (for Alcaraz), but it’s going to be healthy.
“He is set up beautifully. What a champion.”
In the women’s final, Polish star Iga Swiatek destroyed Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour.
It was 23-year-old Swiatek’s fourth Roland Garros triumph and fifth major overall.