Photo: Collected
Fourteen-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal on Sunday (9 June) was the first to react after Carlos Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in front of a packed Court Phillipe Chatrier in Paris to claim his maiden French Open title. The third seed outlasted the German 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to win his third career major while also breaking Nadal's long-standing record in ATP history.
Until Sunday (9 June), six men have won a Grand Slam on all three surfaces - grass, hard, clay. Nadal held the record for being the youngest ever to achieve the feat, after having claimed his first Australian Open title in 2009 at the age of 22 years and seven months. However, fellow Spaniard Alcaraz, who turned 21 last month, shattered the record following his four-hour, 19-minute win on the Paris clay. The Roland Garros triumph added to his existing trophy cabinet comprising a US Open haul in 2022 and a Wimbledon victory in 2023.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Nadal posted: "Congratulations @carlosalcaraz for this immense victory!!!! Big!!!! Very happy for your successes!!! #Vamos."
Messenger/Hasan
