Spanish reign in Paris

PARIS, June 9

Carlos Alcaraz outlasted German Alexander Zverev to win a maiden French Open and become the youngest man to capture Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces with a 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 victory in a nail-biting final today.

The contest may not have been a classic, but the Spaniard showed he belonged in the big league as he added a third Grand Slam title to his 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon triumphs.

While the 21-year-old has won all of his three Major finals, today’s defeat prolonged Zverev’s frustration at Grand Slams, with the German still chasing a first title despite reaching the last-four eight times.

In the first men’s Roland Garros final not featuring any member of the Big Three — Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer — in two decades, Alcaraz and Zverev failed to impress, their lack of consistency making for a disappointing display.

Alcaraz often looked like he had got the upper hand, only to let it slip several times but he ultimately rose to the occasion against an increasingly frustrated Zverev.

The fourth seed has now lost both his Grand Slam finals, after losing the US Open decider four years ago when he was two points away from victory against Dominic Thiem.

Alcaraz, who has suffered with bouts of nerves at Roland Garros, where his compatriot Nadal won a record 14 titles, kept his composure despite some blips.

Coco wins doubles title

Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova claimed the women’s doubles title with a 7-6(5) 6-3 victory over Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini — a day after the latter’s crushing loss in the singles final. The win was Siniakova’s eighth women’s Grand Slam doubles crown and Gauff’s first. — Reuters