"My grandfather is proud" - Carlos Alcaraz credits granddad's iconic 3C's mantra for inspiring French Open final comeback

Carlos Alcaraz has fondly spoken up about his grandfather's life's motto on several occasions in the past. The 22-year-old often tends to draw inspiration from it on the tennis court, particularly when the going gets tough for him. He was at it again on Sunday, June 8, as he completed a comeback for the ages against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to successfully defend the men's singles title at the French Open.

At one stage of the epic encounter between the new-age rivals, Sinner found himself with three championship points. Remarkably, Alcaraz saved them all and went on to produce some of his best tennis to ultimately register a 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory. After the match, he reflected on his never-say-die attitude during the match, telling Eurosport:

"To put it to words what just happened is really difficult honestly. Two sets down against the #1, with the level that he was playing. I just put my heart into it and tried to keep it going. Never gave up. I was just fighting. Point after point. In the end it was all heart."

Carlos Alcaraz, now a five-time Major champion, proceeded to reveal that his comeback against Jannik Sinner stemmed from his grandfather's 'cabeza (head), corazon (heart) and cojones (balls)' motto.

"I played with my grandfather's three Cs. My grandfather is proud," Alcaraz added, before he shouted 'cojones' out loud.

The Spaniard playfully concluded:

"After the match I played, I think I can say that."

For five hours and 29 minutes, Alcaraz and Sinner produced tennis that's bound to be talked about for months, if not for years and decades. In the aftermath of his successful French Open title defense, the Spaniard reflected on the remarkable nature of the contest that lit up Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday.

"It was unreal" - Carlos Alcaraz on playing memorable French Open 2025 final against Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz (right) during the men's singles trophy presentation ceremony at the 2025 French Open (Source: Getty)

At his post-match press conference, Carlos Alcaraz hailed the men's singles final at the 2025 French Open for the quality he and Jannik Sinner put on show. The Spaniard hailed the reigning No. 1, who, for a long time, looked well on his way to dethroning Alcaraz and becoming the new champion at Roland Garros.

"There were a few moments of the match where the level was insane. Being Jannik on the other side of the net playing such a great level, sometimes I felt like ‘What can I do?’ He was moving unbelievable. Hitting amazing shots. There were a few moments of the match that he couldn’t miss any ball. That level was really really high," Alcaraz said.

The 22-year-old added:

"I thought sometimes about the people. I enjoyed some parts of the match. I enjoy to play such a high level against Jannik, having that battle. It was great. I thought the people were enjoying a little bit as well. For me, it was unreal sometimes."

With his latest success in Paris, Carlos Alcaraz has now won all five Major finals he has so far featured in. Meanwhile, for Jannik Sinner, it was a first loss in four. Both players will now look to rest and recover for this year's grasscourt swing.