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Tom Hamilton, senior writer
PARIS – Carlos Alcaraz will look to establish himself as the new king of clay when he faces Alexander Zverev in the men’s French Open final on Sunday.
Alcaraz, 21, has long been described as the natural successor to Rafael Nadal, but his Grand Slam titles have come at Wimbledon and the US Open. By reaching the final of Roland Garros, he became the youngest player to reach the final of one of the four major tournaments on all three courts.
Zverev (27 years old) reached the semi-finals of the French Open four times in a row, but this is his first final. This is his second Grand Slam final overall.
Here’s how each player can prevail in their French Open title match.
Why will Carlos Alcaraz win?
Alcaraz entered Roland Garros suffering from a forearm injury. He was forced to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open, then lost in Madrid to Andrey Rublev and withdrew from Rome. So it wasn’t just straight up preparation for the French Open, and early in the tournament he was talking about not being able to hit his forehand 100%.
But we saw Alcaraz build each round, and despite any lingering concerns about his usually lethal forehand, he managed to fend off all the competition. After overcoming JJ Wolff in the opening round, he had to get through tough qualifier Jesper de Jong before overcoming Sebastian Korda in straight sets. He navigated a potentially tough match with Felix Auger-Aliassime with ease and then beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the quarter-finals.
“The baby is very good,” Tsitsipas said afterwards.
The semi-final match with Siner was the toughest. Alcaraz looked sluggish in the first set, but in a test of endurance and precision, he eventually got past Sinner on Friday in 4 hours and 10 minutes, winning 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6.-3.
Alcaraz is well suited for playing on clay. He looks at the home run as it slips and slides along the baseline. His decision to use speed to get to the net more against Sinner in the second set swung the match back in his favor.
“He controls the ball very well and is able to change directions easily,” Tsitsipas said. “He reminds me a little bit of Novak (Djokovic) when he plays. The way he scores points, the way he uses his mind to come up with great solutions and tactics all the time, he has answers to everything. He’s smart.” “He’s a player with great tennis intelligence.”
Alcaraz reached the semi-finals of this tournament last year, but suffered from cramp problems and lost to Djokovic. Although he struggled with cramps again this year, Alcaraz worked his way through them.
“I’m mentally stronger and I know how to handle this situation and I know the cramps will go away if I stay there,” he said on Friday.
Alcaraz has the ability to find another level only when it already seems to be working at maximum efficiency. “You have to find joy in suffering, that’s the key,” he said after the win over Sinner.
Why will Alexander Zverev win?
After three straight semifinals, Zverev finally advanced to his first French Open final. In 2021, he lost to Tsitsipas in the semi-finals, while in 2022 he was pushing Nadal to the limits, but he tore his ankle ligaments and retired at the end of the second set. Last year, he fell in straight sets to Casper Ruud.
But in 2024, he is on the cusp of winning the title. “Some of my worst and best memories were with (Philippe Chatrier) and I will give my best on Sunday,” Zverev said.
Zverev enjoyed a fantastic Roland Garros tournament. The match began with an opening round match against Nadal. But he managed to overcome that in straight sets before defeating David Goffin in the second round. Next, Zverev had to go through a five-set match against Talon Greksborg before going through another marathon against Holger Röhn in the fourth round. But he made quick work of Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals.
Against Ruud in the semi-finals, he lost the first set, but rebounded to break Ruud at the start of the second set and remained in control. “I knew I had to be more aggressive,” Zverev said.
Ruud is one of the best clay court specialists on the tour, but he has been suffering from a stomach problem. Zverev won 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Zverev has a 5-4 advantage over Alcaraz, but he seems ready at this moment. “He’s serving really well,” Goffin said after his second-round loss. “He is strong, hits hard all over the field and moves very well.”
Zverev also showed off his tactical skills here, changing things up when needed for Grekspor in their third round match. “My first mentality was, ‘Okay, I lost 4-1, but how do I give myself the best chance of coming back?’” Zverev said. “The first thing I had to get rid of was his serve and volley, which worked very well for him today. So I did that.”
While Zverev was playing at Roland Garros, a trial was taking place in his native Germany, where his ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence. It was announced on Friday that Zverev had agreed to an out-of-court settlement with the woman.
What will happen?
Alcaraz has fond memories of watching this tournament growing up. When he finished his school day in El Palmar, Spain, he ran home to watch the French Open on television. He said: “I wanted to put my name on the list of Spanish names that won this tournament.” Nadal has inspired him, but wants to sit alongside Manuel Santana, Andres Gimeno, Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa and Juan Carlos Ferrero, all of whom have won the tournament.
Alcaraz has already shattered the records of his illustrious peers, reaching a Grand Slam final on all three courts at a younger age than Roger Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. Alcaraz said: “It’s a great thing. Breaking new records for me is a wonderful thing and a success for me.” “But I don’t want to think about that.”
Zverev is in the best form of his career and is confident that clay will quickly become his dominant surface.
“If not now then when?” He said on the field after Ruud’s win. “If you reach the final of Roland Garros, you deserve to be there, and that applies to (Alcaraz) as well. To win a Grand Slam title, you have to fight battles. If I can win this trophy, it means I will win the title.” “It would mean the world to me.”
He prepared for a five-set marathon, which Alcaraz won in a tiebreaker.
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