Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) on Sunday and retain his French Open title for a second straight year. Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam tournament in as many finals, produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament.

It was the first time that Sinner has lost a Grand Slam final. It was also the longest-ever French Open final — 5 hours, 29 minutes — in the Open Era. After 3 hours, 43 minutes, Sinner had his first match point. But with just over five hours since the match began, Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 up.

The drama was still not over. Sinner made a remarkable retrieve from yet another superb Alcaraz drop shot. At the very limit he could stretch to, Sinner glided the ball over the net, with the ball landing with the softness of an autumn leaf and out of Alcaraz’s reach to make it 15-40.

When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, it was his turn to milk the applause and he was two points away from victory in the 12th game with Alcaraz on serve and at 15-30 and at deuce. But Alcaraz made a staggering cross-court backhand to make it 6-6 and force a tiebreaker, with the crowd going wild when Alcaraz’s cross-court winner made it 4-0. Sinner could not find a way back and Alcaraz won the match with a superb forehand pass down the line and then fell onto his back to celebrate.

There is hardly anything between the two best players in tennis at the moment, who have now combined to win the last six Grand Slam titles and appear poised to build one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries in the years ahead. Sunday’s duel delivered a match of rare intensity, filled with punishing baseline rallies, exquisite drop shots and brilliant passing shots — thrilling a packed court.

Reflecting on the match in his post-final press conference, Sinner tried to draw positives from a devastating loss. “Obviously, this one hurts,” he said. “There’s not so much to say right now. But again, I’m happy with how we’re trying to improve every day and put myself in these kinds of positions.” It was a particularly tough ending for Sinner, who had not dropped a set on his way to the final, including a dominant semifinal win over three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic.