French Open 2023: Zverev triumphs over Alcaraz in marathon match

German star claims maiden Grand Slam title

Alexander Zverev produced a stunning performance to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller and win the French Open on Sunday.

The German raced out to a two-set lead, but Alcaraz fought back to level the match before Zverev eventually prevailed 6-1, 6-3, 6-7, 2-7, 6-4.

It was Zverev's first Grand Slam title and made him the first German man to win a major since Boris Becker in 1996.

Zverev started the match like a man possessed, breaking Alcaraz's serve in the opening game and quickly racing to a 5-0 lead. He closed out the first set with an ace in just 24 minutes.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Zverev breaking Alcaraz twice more to take it 6-3. However, Alcaraz showed his fighting spirit in the third set, breaking Zverev's serve twice and winning the tie-break 7-6.

Alcaraz continued to push Zverev in the fourth set, but the German eventually broke his serve in the 10th game to take it 7-2 and move one set away from victory.

The fifth set was a tense affair, with both players exchanging breaks early on. However, Zverev was able to break Alcaraz's serve again in the eighth game and held his nerve to serve out the match and claim the title.

In his post-match interview, Zverev paid tribute to Alcaraz and said he was "proud" to have won the French Open.

"It's an amazing feeling," Zverev said. "I've worked so hard for this and I'm so happy to have finally won a Grand Slam."

Zverev's victory is a major upset, as Alcaraz was the tournament favorite. However, the German has been in impressive form all year and he proved too strong for the Spaniard on the day.

This is a major moment for German tennis and it will be interesting to see if Zverev can continue his success and become one of the dominant players in the world.