Alcaraz aims to fulfil childhood dream in French Open final

After a time astatine school, a young Carlos Alcaraz would tally location - hopeless to watch his leader Rafael Nadal successful action.

Now, conscionable arsenic 14-time French Open champion Nadal did, 21-year-old Alcaraz has a chance to create his ain tourney legacy.

The Spaniard has already won 2 of nan sport's 4 biggest events - nan 2022 US Open and Wimbledon past twelvemonth - and takes connected Germany's Alexander Zverev successful Sunday's Roland Garros final.

Alcaraz's five-set semi-final victory complete incoming world number 1 Jannik Sinner made him nan youngest man to scope Grand Slam finals connected each 3 surfaces: difficult court, writer and now nan Paris clay.

A triumph connected Sunday would adhd his sanction to a agelong database of Spanish French Open champions, which, arsenic good arsenic Nadal, besides includes his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Albert Costa, Carlos Moya and Sergi Bruguera, who person each triumphed successful nan past 30 years.

"I person a typical emotion astir this tournament," said Alcaraz. "I retrieve erstwhile I vanished school, moving location conscionable to put nan TV connected and watch nan matches present successful nan French Open.

"I watched a batch of matches - of people Nadal dominating this tourney for, let's say, 14, 15 years. It's thing unbelievable and I wanted to put my sanction connected that database of nan Spanish players who won this tournament."

The lucifer against Zverev takes spot from 13:30 BST connected Sunday, pinch commentary disposable connected 5 Live Sport and nan BBC Sport website and app.

Standing successful Alcaraz's measurement is 27-year-old Zverev, a subordinate that began this year's run pinch a straight-set triumph complete Nadal - who mightiness person been playing his past lucifer astatine Roland Garros.

Zverev has not won a Grand Slam, but came adjacent to doing truthful astatine nan 2020 US Open last erstwhile he was 2 sets up and past 2 points distant from triumph erstwhile serving for nan tourney astatine 5-3 up successful nan last set.

However, Austria's Dominic Thiem yet took nan title pursuing a 5th group tie-break successful an epic four-hour final.

Zverev has reached nan semi-finals astatine Roland Garros successful each of nan past 4 years, though he suffered a superior ankle wounded during nan 2nd group of his 2022 lucifer pinch Nadal, pinch nan German leaving nan tribunal successful a wheelchair.

He has besides mislaid successful nan last 4 successful 5 sets to Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas successful 2021 and successful 3 sets to Norway's Casper Ruud successful 2023, but saw disconnected Ruud this twelvemonth to scope his first final.

"Going from fundamentally nan US Open last wherever I was 2 points away, to being rolled disconnected successful a wheelchair present 2 years agone - it's each portion of my journey," said Zverev.

"I'm successful nan final. I haven't won yet. I conscionable want to play my champion tennis and springiness myself nan champion chance. If I'm capable to do that and if I americium capable to assistance that trophy, it will mean nan world to me."

On Friday, Zverev's trial complete home maltreatment allegations, made by his erstwhile girlfriend, was discontinued. Zverev has ever denied nan charges.

The Tiergarten District Court successful Berlin said: "There has been a colony betwixt nan suspect and nan complainant. The determination is not a verdict and it is not a determination astir guilt aliases innocence.

"One decisive facet for nan tribunal determination was nan witnesser has expressed her wish to extremity nan trial. The suspect agreed to nan termination of nan case."