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Carlos Alcaraz has become the youngest man to reach Grand Slam finals on all three surfaces.
A year ago, at Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz’s stay in Paris did not have a happy ending when he ended up cramping early in the third set of the semi-final against Novak Djokovic. But French Open 2024 hasn’t been the same case for Rafael Nadal’s heir. Alcaraz edged Jannik Sinner in a back-and-forth semifinal match lasting five sets before winning 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
This was the latest chapter in the pair’s rivalry, which saw the Spaniard move to 5-4 in their head-to-head.
By reaching the Roland Garros final for the first time, he becomes the youngest Grand Slam finalist on all three surfaces – hard, clay, and grass court.
Five players, including Alcaraz, have reached the milestone before turning 23. Read on to learn more about them.
Jim Courier is the oldest man on the list, reaching the milestone at 22 years, and 10 months. Courier achieved this milestone at the 1993 Wimbledon, where he lost to his ever-present rival and fellow American Pete Sampras in four sets. If not for the presence of Sampras, Courier could have notched a few more than his four Grand Slam wins.
Courier’s first final came on clay when he played and defeated Andre Agassi in the 1991 French Open. The same year, he reached his first final on hard courts at the US Open against Stefan Edberg ending in a straight-set loss.
Jim Courier is 118-38 in Grand Slams and has two titles each, at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. The closest he came to winning on home turf was at the US Open finals in 1991, and the closest brush with the Wimbledon trophy was in the 1993 edition of the tournament. The one-time World No. 1 also reached the French Open final in 1993.
Rafael Nadal came onto the list in 2009 after reaching the Australian Open finals that year. The Mallorca’s first appearance in a final came at the 2005 French Open, an event he won that year. The Wimbledon 2006 final was his first at the venue and on the surface, and though he lost to Federer in four sets, showcased his tennis skills away from his favourite surface.
In 2009, his final at Melbourne completed his collection of Grand Slam finals on all surfaces. This time, he got the better of the Federer in five sets.
Nadal boasts a 314-43 win-loss and 22 trophies at Grand Slam events. His greatest success came on the clay courts of Roland Garros, where he won 14 titles, followed by four US Open titles, and two each at Wimbledon and Melbourne.
Bjorn Borg’s appearance in the 1978 US Open final helped him clinch the record a couple of months past his 22nd birthday. The Swede, however, fell at the final hurdle to American Jimmy Connors in straight sets. The first Grand Slam final of his career on clay was at Roland Garros (1974), and on grass was at the 1976 edition of Wimbledon.
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