Alcaraz edges out Sinner and Zverev beats Ruud to set up

Alcaraz recovers to defeat Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3Zverev beats Ruud and settles court case on same day

Carlos Alcaraz entered his first ATP challenger event in April 2019 aged just 15, still a long way from fulfilling his considerable talent. In the first round, Alcaraz, an unranked wildcard, was drawn against a 17-year-old named Jannik Sinner, ranked No 319. The pair battled across three intense sets before Alcaraz emerged with his first challenger win.

That fateful first meeting, played out to a tiny audience at Alcaraz’s academy in Villena, Spain, would mark the starting point of potentially the defining rivalry of the new generation. They met here as grand slam champions at a major tournament for the first time and, after a freezing cold start to a tension-filled contest, Alcaraz recovered from a set and a break down to reach his first Roland Garros final with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Sinner, the second seed.