Carlos Alcaraz conquers French Open: Anand Mahindra calls it a lesson for generations: ‘NEVER Give Up’

After suffering a hamstring and groin injury during the final match of the Barcelona Open in April, Carlos Alcaraz went on to win his second consecutive French Open title. Applauding his performance, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra remarked that Alcaraz had "recovered to win the championship", highlighting it as a powerful “never give up” lesson for generations.

Mahindra said, “Make a poster of this picture…It’s worth a thousand pep talks. Carlos Alcaraz at the French open, facing three Championship match points at 0–40 of the fourth set. Recovered to win the Championship. It isn’t over till it’s over. NEVER give up." 

In one of the most thrilling matches in tennis history, Alcaraz, 22, emerged victorious after a grueling five-hour and 29-minute battle, the second-longest men’s singles Grand Slam final ever, trailing only the 2012 Australian Open clash between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, which lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes.

Alcaraz showcased remarkable resilience by coming back from two sets down and saving three championship points to clinch the title with a 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 win. This triumph marks his second consecutive French Open crown and his fifth Grand Slam title overall.

Alcaraz's historic achievement

With this win, Alcaraz became only the second man in history to win each of his first five Grand Slam finals, following in the footsteps of Roger Federer, who won his first seven major finals. Alcaraz's Grand Slam victories include the 2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon, 2024 French Open, 2024 Wimbledon, and now the 2025 French Open.

This final also ended Jannik Sinner’s unbeaten record in Grand Slam finals. The Italian had previously won all three of his major final appearances—2024 Australian Open, 2024 US Open, and 2025 Australian Open.

Alcaraz now stands alone in men’s tennis history as the only player with a perfect 5-0 record in major finals after playing five or more. In fact, outside of Federer and Alcaraz, no male player in the Open Era has managed to win even their first four Grand Slam finals.

Among the 13 players who hold a perfect record in major finals during the Open Era, only three, including Alcaraz, have done so in more than one final. Gustavo Kuerten (3-0) and Johan Kriek (2-0) are the others.

Top Win Percentages in Men's Grand Slam Finals (Minimum 4 Titles)

Carlos Alcaraz:100% (5 wins, 0 losses)

Rod Laver: 83.3% (5 wins, 1 loss)

Pete Sampras: 77.8% (14 wins, 4 losses)

Rafael Nadal: 73.3% (22 wins, 8 losses)

John Newcombe: 71.4% (5 wins, 2 losses)

Bjorn Borg: 68.8% (11 wins, 5 losses)

Novak Djokovic: 64.9% (24 wins, 13 losses)

Roger Federer: 64.5% (20 wins, 11 losses)

John McEnroe: 63.6% (7 wins, 4 losses)

Mats Wilander: 63.6% (7 wins, 4 losses)

Alcaraz shares the third spot for most Grand Slam titles without a final loss across both men’s and women’s tennis, tied with Iga Świątek (5). Only Monica Seles (6) and Roger Federer (7) had more major final wins before their first loss.

At 22 years, 1 month, and 3 days, Alcaraz also becomes the joint-fastest man to win five Grand Slam titles, equaling Rafael Nadal. Only Bjorn Borg reached the milestone at a younger age of 22 years and 5 days.