Déjà Vu at 22: Carlos Alcaraz Rewinds Rafael Nadal’s Slam History

Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis prodigy, has once again proven why he’s always compared to the “King of Clay Court” Rafael Nadal. He created history by clinching the fifth Grand Slam title at the remarkably young age of 22 years, 1 month, and 3 days. An achievement that also mirrors the same achievement by Nadal, highlighting his dominance in the sport.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Historic Win

He recently won the French Open 2025 by defeating World Number 1 Jannik Sinner in a thrilling final that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes. This relentless game also became the longest final at the French Open ever, surpassing a previous record set in 1982.

Reflecting on his win, he said, “The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Rafa Nadal, I’m going to say that’s destiny. It is a stat that I’m going to keep for me forever, winning the fifth Grand Slam at the same time as Rafa, my idol, my inspiration. It’s a huge honour. Without them, it would have been impossible to come back. At the start of the third set, everything was going his way. I had to delete those thoughts from my mind and fight.”

Carlos Alcaraz “still can’t believe” He Won

It was a game won by sheer excellence. Jannik Sinner dominated most of the game, winning the first and second sets with a score of 4–6, 6–7. However, Carlos made a remarkable comeback in straight sets by 6-4, 7-6, forcing the game into a tiebreaker. Every time Sinner was on the verge of winning, Carlos saved the game. He ultimately won the fifth set with a commanding victory of 7-6, earning him the fifth major title at the same age as Rafael Nadal.

Regarding the game, he said, “At 6-5 in the fifth at 15-30 or 30-all, advantage for me, 40-all. Those points I remember pretty clear, and honestly, I still don’t know how I did it. I mean, it was balls on the line, slicing the line. He was dominating that game. Honestly, I still don’t know how I saved that game.”

Carlos Alcaraz will not look to defend his title at Wimbledon 2025.

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