Novak Djokovic claimed his 25th Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros on Sunday, defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a five-set final of extraordinary drama and quality that lasted four hours and 47 minutes and ended with the 39-year-old Serbian holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires aloft in front of a 15,000-strong Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd that gave him a standing ovation lasting several minutes. The victory is Djokovic’s fourth Roland Garros title and extends his own record as the most decorated player in the history of Grand Slam singles tennis, having surpassed Margaret Court’s previously unsurpassed record of 24 titles when he won the 2023 US Open.

The match was the latest chapter in the defining rivalry of the current era of professional tennis, with Alcaraz having won their previous three Grand Slam final meetings including the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon finals and the 2025 French Open – the same tournament Djokovic defeated him in on Sunday. Djokovic, who underwent a knee operation in mid-2024 that kept him sidelined for six months and prompted widespread speculation that his career might be approaching its end, has returned to extraordinary form in 2026, winning the Australian Open in January for a 24th career major before Sunday’s Roland Garros victory. ESPN described his physical performance across the two-week clay court tournament as “frankly implausible for a man who turns 40 in May 2026 – the movement, the ball-striking, the mental resilience are all at a level that would be remarkable for a 25-year-old, let alone someone who had knee surgery less than two years ago.”

The final itself followed Djokovic’s characteristic pattern of absorbing pressure, adapting tactically, and finding solutions to opponents’ strengths through intelligence and incredible physical endurance. Alcaraz dominated the first set with heavy topspin on the forehand that kept Djokovic pinned behind the baseline, but Djokovic progressively shortened his backswing, took the ball earlier, and neutralized Alcaraz’s preferred rally patterns through the second set and into the third. The fourth set saw Alcaraz rediscover his best tennis and level the match, and the fifth set was played at an extraordinary intensity, with neither player leading by more than one game until Djokovic broke Alcaraz’s serve at 5-5 and served out the championship at love. BBC Sport called the match “the finest clay court final since Nadal-Federer in 2008, a game played at the absolute limit of what two humans can produce on a tennis court.” Sky Sports reported that match statistics showed Djokovic won 186 points to Alcaraz’s 185 – a single point difference across nearly five hours of play.

Djokovic said in his victory speech that he intends to compete through at least the 2026 Wimbledon Championships and the 2026 US Open, which would give him additional opportunities to extend his Grand Slam record. He was emotional in his acknowledgment of his team, his family, and the Roland Garros crowd, and responded generously when asked about Alcaraz, saying “Carlos is the future of this sport and probably already its present – what he’s doing at his age, I can only admire it. I hope we play each other in ten more finals.” Guardian Sport described the relationship between the two players – marked by mutual respect, warmth, and fierce competitive desire to defeat each other – as “the most compelling dynamic in sport right now.”