Carlos Alcaraz hit an incredible shot to win the fifth game of his final set against Alexander Zverev in the French Open and he carried the momentum for the remainder of the matchup.
The Spanish superstar, 21, won the Grand Slam tournament in a five-set thriller. 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. It’s his first French Open title and the third Grand Slam championship of his career.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his men’s singles final match against Alexander Zverev at the French Open in Paris on June 9, 2024. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images)
Zverev appeared to have Alcaraz right where he wanted him in the middle of the match. Up two sets and winning a nail-biter third set, Zverev needed to just dig a little deeper to win. Alcaraz’s speed showed up in the fourth set as he left the German star hunched over and in need of a breath.
The two tennis stars then traded games in the final set. But once Alcaraz went up 3-2, there was really no looking back. Zverev’s frustrations began to show as he argued ins and outs with the chair umpire. And after Alcaraz’s backhand hit the net and bounced in, all Zverev could do was look on in astonishment.
IGA SWIATEK WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT FRENCH OPEN AFTER DEFEATING JASMINE PAOLINI IN WOMEN’S FINAL
Alexander Zverev during his match against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Alcaraz picked up the win after making it to the semifinals last year. He has improved each year since making his debut in the tournament in 2020. He needed a five-set win over Jannik Sinner to get to the final after he topped Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.
Zverev got past Casper Ruud in the semis to get to Alcaraz. He would have potentially faced off against Novak Djokovic but the Serbian star tore his meniscus and was forced out of the tournament last week.
A Grand Slam title still eludes Zverev. But the French Open final this time around was his best finish in the tournament in his career.
Carlos Alcaraz reacts as he plays Alexander Zverev during the French Open, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
There are only a few weeks of rest for tennis stars. Wimbledon begins in a few weeks and the Olympics start right after that. Zverev won a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.