2024 French Open Day 15: Men’s Final – Carlos Alcaraz v Alexander Zverev
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There were some big surprise during the men’s French Open, but the end result isn’t. We are left with the guy who came into the event as the betting favorite, Carlos Alcaraz, against the man who just won the Rome Masters and then defeated the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. And that is Alexander Zverev.
Alcaraz will bid for his third career Grand Slam title — he’s never lost in a Slam final. He’ll also try to win his third Slam on a third different surface, something no one as young as him at just 21 has ever done and join the list of Spanish greats who have won at the French Open.
It’s the third straight year Alcaraz has made a grand slam final after his 2022 US Open triumph and 2023 five-set title at Wimbledon over Novak Djokovic.
He comes into the final off a 5-set win over rival Jannik Sinner where he didn’t quite look at his very best.
“I have a special feeling to this tournament, because I remember when I finish school I’m running to my home just to put the TV on and watch the matches here,” Alcaraz said.
“I watched a lot of matches. Of course, Rafa Nadal dominating this tournament for, let’s say, 14, 15 years. It’s something unbelievable.
“I wanted to put my name on that list of the Spanish players who won this tournament. Not only Rafa. Ferrero, Moya, Costa, a lot of Spanish players, legends from our sport that won this tournament, I really want to put my name on that list, as well.”
While Alcaraz has been to No. 1 and has two Slam titles, Zverev has more experience on the red clay and has more overall titles, 22 to 13.
But the German is into just his second major final after collapsing to Dominic Thiem in that wild COVID US Open final in 2020.
“Going from the US Open final where I was two points away to being rolled off in a wheelchair here two years ago – it’s all the path of my journey,” Zverev explained. “You either come back stronger and you come back hungrier or you kind of go into yourself. You drop mentally a bit. I’m happy that I was the sort of person that took the first path.”
Zverev, though, has been in better form winning Rome, beating Nadal and then gaining revenge on Casper Ruud — two players who have denied him a final in Paris in the past.
So Zverev comes in riding a 12-match win streak and he leads Alcaraz 5-4. He defeated Alcaraz at the Australian Open and also in the French Open back in 2022.
One sure thing, we’ll have a new French Open champion come Sunday.
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