Carlos Alcaraz captured his fifth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and he was delighted to share some symmetry with Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard defeated Jannik Sinner in a five-set classic in Paris, coming from two sets down to capture his second French Open crown.
Carlos Alcaraz won £2.13 million at Roland Garros, meaning the Spaniard overtook Pete Sampras for overall prize money won.
Carlos Alcaraz’s fifth Grand Slam win means the 22-year-old shares a beautiful piece of symmetry with ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal won their fifth Grand Slam at exactly the same age
Alcaraz’s victory over Sinner at Roland Garros was achieved at the age of 22 years, one month, and three days.
This was one day away from the same age Nadal was when he defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon, 2008, for his fifth Grand Slam title.
The symmetry is not lost on Alcaraz, who was delighted to share the stat with his idol after his superb comeback against Sinner.
The 22-year-old said: “Honestly, the coincidence of winning my fifth grand slam at the same age as Rafael Nadal is, I mean, I’m going to say it, that’s destiny, I guess!”
Alcaraz and Nadal both competed for Spain at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The two men reached the quarterfinal, before succumbing to Krajicek and Ram of the United States.
The 22-year-old is often dubbed as Nadal’s most natural successor, particularly due to his ability on the clay.
The only other players to win five Grand Slams before they turned 23 were multi-time champions Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras.
When is Carlos Alcaraz next in action?
After an impressive clay court season, the Spaniard will turn his attention to the grass court and he’s set for a UK date ahead of Wimbledon.
Alcaraz is currently advertised for the men’s draw at Queen’s Club on June 16, a tournament he won in 2023.
The Spaniard also performed at the event in 2024, losing to British No. 1 Jack Draper in the second round of the London tournament.
Draper is also confirmed for the UK event, alongside Lorenzo Musetti, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Holger Rune.