In the opening game that lasts 12 minutes, it is inevitable that the final between the two best players in the world will be a marathon.
Finally, Alcaraz and Sinner put everything in five hours and 29 minutes, the longest French Open final in history.
As the fifth set was played around BST, British tennis player Naomi Broady had to issue an executive call to change her travel plans.
“I just changed the Eurostar ticket because I think it’s safe to say I won’t do it for a 9pm,” Broady said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
It was worth it, and in an emotionally broad word, she felt “lucky, I have to witness this here”.
“It feels definitely a historic moment in our movement,” she added.
Former UK No. 1 Greg Rusedski compared Alcaraz to Hungary’s escapist Harry Houdini, commentator Nick Mullins crowned him “the second King of Carlos – the Red King in the second Roland Garros final” during TNT sports.
Former British player Mark Petchey added on TNT Sports: “Carlos certainly didn’t invent tennis, but he’s perfecting it.”
