TENNIS
Carlos Alcaraz to play Alexander Zverev in 2024 French Open final: what is their head-to-head record?
Third seed Alcaraz and fourth seed Zverev will meet in their second final, with the Spaniard winning in the 2022 Madrid Open.
Carlos Alcaraz will take on Alexander Zverev in the final of the 2024 French Open at Roland-Garros after the two came through their respective semifinals against Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud.
How Alcaraz and Zverev reached the 2024 French Open final
The Spaniard has won both of the Grand Slam finals he has played in in his young career and made it through to a third after a five-set win over Sinner, who emphatically won the first set but was undone by the fast-finishing Alcaraz, who triumphed 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Hours later, Zverez made a similarly slow start against Ruud, losing the first set 6-2. However, the German then went on to take total control of the match against the Norwegian, serving 19 aces and winning 86% of points on his first serve in a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win.
The 27-year-old is still searching for his first major victory, reaching his second final having previously lost to Dominic Thiem in the final of the US Open in 2020.
Zverev leads head-to-head but encouragement for Alcaraz
Sunday’s game will be the 10th meeting between Alcaraz and Zverev, with little to separare the pair in their nine previous encounters.
Overall, the German has the upper hand with five wins to the Spaniards’ four, although Alcaraz has won four of the most recent seven meetings. The 21-year-old also came out on top the last time they met, making light work of Zverev in a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the quarterfinals in the Indian Wells Open, his only title so far in 2024.
Alcaraz also has a marginally superior record on clay, with one of his two victories on the surface coming in the Madrid Open final in 2022, the only time the pair have faced off in the decisive match of any tournament.
Zverez, however, won the only previous encounter between the two at Roland-Garros, posting a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 victory in the quarterfinals in 2022.
2024 French Open final: time and how to watch
Recent history suggests the 2024 final should be a tight one, with Alcaraz hoping to repeat any of the four straight-sets wins he has enjoyed against Zverev during his career. Sunday’s match will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET / 6:00 a.m. PT and will be broadcast in the United States by NBC Sports and Peacock.