Greatest French Open final comeback

[BigThreeForever]

There have been six two-sets-to-love comebacks in the Open Era at the French Open finals, which do you consider to be the best? Alcaraz is the most recent, having also saved 3 championship points on his serve in the fourth set, while someone like Lendl beat the best start to a season in John McEnroe, also coming back from being down 2–4 in the fourth set.

Timeline;
1974 French Open final, Björn Borg defeats Manuel Orantes 2–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–0, 6–1, 6–1

1984 French Open final, Ivan Lendl defeats John McEnroe 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 7–5

1999 French Open final, Andre Agassi defeats Andriy Medvedev 1–6, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4

2004 French Open final, Gastón Gaudio defeats Guillermo Coria 0–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1, 8–6

2021 French Open final, Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–7(6–8), 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4

2025 French Open final, Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner 4–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(10–2)

 

[Federev]

There have been six two-sets-to-love comebacks in the Open Era at the French Open finals, which do you consider to be the best? Alcaraz is the most recent, having also saved 3 championship points on his serve in the fourth set, while someone like Lendl beat the best start to a season in John McEnroe, also coming back from being down 2–4 in the fourth set.

Timeline;
1974 French Open final, Björn Borg defeats Manuel Orantes 2–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–0, 6–1, 6–1

1984 French Open final, Ivan Lendl defeats John McEnroe 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 7–5

1999 French Open final, Andre Agassi defeats Andriy Medvedev 1–6, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4

2004 French Open final, Gastón Gaudio defeats Guillermo Coria 0–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1, 8–6

2021 French Open final, Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–7(6–8), 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4

2025 French Open final, Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner 4–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(10–2)

I didn't see any of these except '25.

And I know it's not Novak over Tsitsi. Fed over Delpo might arguably be a better comeback than that.

Anyway, no point in voting if I don't know most of the matches.

 

[TheAssassin]

Leaning towards Lendl considering how untouchable McEnroe was that year both before and after the final. And it was Lendl's first Slam.

Still, for the whole journey... From 141st in the world to completing a Career Slam two years later, being 0-2 4-4 40-AD down in the final... One of the most stunning tennis memories for me.

 

[NoleFam]

I saw '99, '21 and '25 and I agree with the post above about '99. That was a memorable moment and great comeback to win another Slam after almost 4 years, and complete the career Slam. I never saw the Lendl/McEnroe one but that one probably would be #1 being that Lendl finally won his 1st Slam and won it over a dominant McEnroe. I'm a Djokovic fan so of course I loved that one and him winning the double career Slam and Alcaraz was epic. Some great ones are on the list.

 

[nolefam_2024]

So so many comebacks to choose from.

 

[Mustard]

1984 is the obvious answer here.

 

[Martin J]

Voted for Lendl because I believe he was under so much pressure after losing all four Slam finals he reached, was being served off the court for two sets and a bit, but still kept his composure, adjusted his tactics and came out victorious against a dominant Mac.

Regarding Borg's comeback, I remember reading an interview with Orantes and he said the conditions were so heavy, hot and humid that he started experiencing struggle with breathing, while Borg was playing like it was the first set. Bjorn was a freak of nature.

 

[ALCARAZWON]

Because Agassi had lost a couple of French Open Finals in the early 90s when he was the favorite to win, and then in 1999 he found himself down 0-2 when he was again the favorite to win.
And the tearful expression on Agassi's face at the change of ends in that 3rd Set was unforgettably tragic especially with the Career Grand Slam slipping through his fingers.
Agassi's spirit appeared to be broken, and he had no rhythm or timing and seemingly no chance of turning it around... especially when Medvedev was on-fire.
Anyone who was familiar with Agassi (at that stage of his career) knew that when his timing was off, it stayed off for the entire match, and that is what made this comeback so unlikely.
And yes he was playing Medvedev, not a slam-winner, but Agassi had a habit of losing to slamless players (and had lost to Vince Spadea at the 1999 AO).

I will say that Raz saving three match points deserves a bit more credit.

That's true, I guess the fact Alcaraz has won EVERY big point vs. Sinner in the last year, made this comeback not particularly surprising (for me).
But yes just looking at that score in the 3rd Set, its the most incredible comeback, similar to Nadal's "miracle in Melbourne" vs. Medvedev.

 

[BauerAlmeida]

Agassi for sure. 1984 was great because of it being Lendl's first slam and Mac blowing his only shot at Roland Garros, but winning CGS from 0-2 at a slam where you were 0-2 in finals, at the slam you arguably should have won first of all and years after your last slam title. Epic journey.

 

[DSH]

1984 is the obvious answer here.

Which is your favorite final, that one or the recent one between Alcaraz and Sinner?

 

[wang07]

1984 for sure

-Lendl's first slam title, having lost 4 finals before

-stopped a win streak that could've easily lasted for 60 matches (perspective on how dominant he was that year: Mac lost 2 sets in his previous 29 matches until that final, and went on to lose only 3 in next 20)

-change that result and Mac has 8 Slams, Lendl 7 (?*)

* who knows how it would have affected Lendl, had he lost all 5 of his Slam finals? reasonable chance he never even becomes an ATG!


As far as greatest, it has to be 84. Match itself is great quality too and rewatchable even if you started watching tennis recently and not aware of the whole storyline around it.

 

[Moose Malloy]

The 1984 final will certainly remain the only one to get a film made about it.

 

[The Blond Blur]

 

[Mustard]

As far as greatest, it has to be 84. Match itself is great quality too and rewatchable even if you started watching tennis recently and not aware of the whole storyline around it.

Here is the match:

 

[Rosstour]

The score line says it all.

Most of those other matches, the winner dropped the first but won 3-4-5 pretty easily.

Alcaraz was dead 3 different times.

 

[Mustard]

Because Agassi had lost a couple of French Open Finals in the early 90s when he was the favorite to win, and then in 1999 he found himself down 0-2 when he was again the favorite to win.
And the tearful expression on Agassi's face at the change of ends in that 3rd Set was unforgettably tragic
Agassi's spirit appeared to be broken, and he had no rhythm or timing and was an unforced errors machine who had no chance of turning it around...
Of course the argument against this is that he was playing Medvedev, not someone who'd won slams before, so a comeback was more plausible than usual.
However anyone who was familiar with Agassi's career knew that when his timing was off, it stayed off for the entire match, and that is what made this comeback so unlikely.

The irony is that Agassi talked Medvedev out of retirement during 1999 Monte Carlo. Medvedev had lost to a 20-year-old qualifier, Ljubicic, and went on a night out with Agassi. Agassi convinced him to tough it out, and they basically cheered each other along during their 1999 French Open runs, which included Medvedev wins over Sampras and Kuerten, and Agassi wins over Moya and Hrbaty.

 

[Martin J]

The irony is that Agassi talked Medvedev out of retirement during 1999 Monte Carlo. Medvedev had lost to a 20-year-old qualifier, Ljubicic, and went on a night out with Agassi. Agassi convinced him to tough it out, and they basically cheered each other along during their 1999 French Open runs, which included Medvedev wins over Sampras and Kuerten, and Agassi wins over Moya and Hrbaty.

Guga was on a hot run on clay that year (winning Monte Carlo and Rome), so I'm wondering what would've happened had he beaten Medvedev in the QF. Not sure if Agassi would have an easier time with him.

 

[Mustard]

Guga was on a hot run on clay that year (winning Monte Carlo and Rome), so I'm wondering what would've happened had he beaten Medvedev in the QF. Not sure if Agassi would have an easier time with him.

Kuerten was the favourite, I think. He was the guy in the best form, had won Monte Carlo and Rome that year in 1999, and was a former French Open champion from 1997.

Agassi beat reigning French Open champion Moya from behind at the 1999 French Open, and Moya was never quite the same again in terms of aura, even though he did have some more successes in future years.

 

[Kralingen]

I will say that Raz saving three match points deserves a bit more credit.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Here is the match:

27 minute condensed match for those that don't have 4 hours to kill

 

[socallefty]

Receny bias be damned (I watched them all except 1974), I voted for the 2025 final. It featured a 0-2 set comeback by Alcaraz against the top seeded #1 player in the world. All the sets were close which is pretty unique in a 5-set match and so it featured 3 tight set wins after the 0-2 deficit. It featured not only saving 3 championship points, but saving all three in a row to stay in the match. It featured breaking serve to stay in the match right after saving 3 CPs in the prior game. It featured a break of serve when Alcaraz served for the match after being ahead all through the deciding set. Sinner was two points from the win again when he had Alcaraz on the ropes at 15-30, 5-6 in the last game. Alcaraz played sublime tennis brilliantly in the last 5-10 minutes to win the match and the crowd loved it as he is the more exciting and popular player.

To add to all the drama, the quality of tennis was extremely high befitting a matchup between the top two players in the world and it was played at a high level of good sportsmanship. While Sinner did get tight late in the fourth set particularly while serving on the verge of victory, he still made Alcaraz beat him by playing well and did not choke visibly as has happened in other matches. The fact that this is the first Grand Slam final between these two prospective ATGs of the new generation with the enticing dream of many more such duels to come makes it even more memorable.

 

[ibbi]

Leaving the quality of the tennis aside, the first 3 are so far beyond the last 3. 2004 is a sad irrelevance, 2021 was a sad joke, this most recent one seemed like a lot more, but we'll see what place it has in the grander picture yet to be painted.

74 was boring, but it was a crowning of a new king. 99 was the comeback completed, the full set attained. 1984 is one of the greatest™ tennis matches in history. The best in the world for 3 years now reached a height where he is literally unbeatable running into the guy who was 0-4 in slam finals. Absolute history.

 

[Enceladus]

This thread should have been created with a greater time gap from the recent RG finale, the distortion of timeliness invalidates the results of the poll.

 

[Hood_Man]

Lendl v McEnroe for me, but Alcaraz v Sinner isn't far behind.

 

[Deleted member 827468]

def not gaudio-coria match coz of cramping moment, and not gioco-citybus, have no idea about first three matches in the list, so cant say

 

[onyxrose81]

If greatest means absolutely terrible and gut-wrenching, then yeah.

I can’t really pick one but if I must…Lendl. Just because of the capability of his opponent in McEnroe.

 

[Djokovic2011]

Alcaraz' comeback in this year's final was arguably the greatest comeback ever of any slam in the Open era, let alone the French Open.

 

[tudwell]

I think 1984 and 2025 are easily the top pair. Both have the number-two player in the world coming back to triumph in a squeaker over an extremely dominant world no. 1. They're such different eras of tennis, I'm not sure I can really choose between them, but they hover several levels above the others for me.

 

[beltsman]

That's true, I guess the fact Alcaraz has won EVERY big point vs. Sinner in the last year, made this comeback not particularly surprising (for me).
But yes just looking at that score in the 3rd Set, its the most incredible comeback, similar to Nadal's "miracle in Melbourne" vs. Medvedev.

The set points in sets 1 and 2 weren't big points?

 

[Federev]

Leaning towards Lendl considering how untouchable McEnroe was that year both before and after the final. And it was Lendl's first Slam.

Still, for the whole journey... From 141st in the world to completing a Career Slam two years later, being 0-2 4-4 40-AD down in the final... One of the most stunning tennis memories for me.

I remember those tears. And that victory. SO awesome.

 

[StrongRule]

Alcaraz' comeback in this year's final was arguably the greatest comeback ever of any slam in the Open era, let alone the French Open.

Lol.

 

[Djokovic2011]

Lol.

Can't be bothered arguing with you.

 

[Mustard]

Alcaraz' comeback in this year's final was arguably the greatest comeback ever of any slam in the Open era, let alone the French Open.

Jimmy Connors probably has those:

1987 Wimbledon R16 vs. Mikael Pernfors (Pernfors led 6-1, 6-1, 4-1, and 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 3-0, before Connors won 1-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2)
1991 US Open R128 vs. Patrick McEnroe (P. McEnroe led 6-4, 7-6, 3-0 with 1 break, and Connors down 0-40 on serve, before Connors won 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the early hours of the morning).

There's also:

1993 US Open R16: Wally Masur def. Jamie Morgan (3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5). Morgan had led 5-0 in the fifth set.
1975 US Open SF: Manuel Orantes def. Guillermo Vilas (4-6, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4). Vilas had led 5-0 in the fourth set, and had 5 match points in that set.

 

[Djokovic2011]

Jimmy Connors probably has those:

1987 Wimbledon R16 vs. Mikael Pernfors (Pernfors led 6-1, 6-1, 4-1, and 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 3-0, before Connors won 1-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2)
1991 US Open R128 vs. Patrick McEnroe (P. McEnroe led 6-4, 7-6, 3-0 with 1 break, and Connors down 0-40 on serve, before Connors won 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the early hours of the morning).

There's also:

1993 US Open R16: Wally Masur def. Jamie Morgan (3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5). Morgan had led 5-0 in the fifth set.
1975 US Open SF: Manuel Orantes def. Guillermo Vilas (4-6, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4). Vilas had led 5-0 in the fourth set, and had 5 match points in that set.

I was really just referring to slam finals but they were all great comebacks that you've mentioned. Connors was such an incredible competitor.

 

[Mustard]

I was really just referring to slam finals but they were all great comebacks that you've mentioned. Connors was such an incredible competitor.

Also:

2013 Australian Open QF: David Ferrer def. Nicolas Almagro (4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-2). Almagro served for the match three times, once in the third set and twice in the fourth set.

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

Agassi-Med definitely.

 

[Rosstour]

I will say that Raz saving three match points deserves a bit more credit.

And then he lets the fifth set totally get away from him after being up what, 5-3?

Then just goes nuclear in a tiebreak. Amazing stuff

 

[nolefam_2024]

Alcaraz' comeback in this year's final was arguably the greatest comeback ever of any slam in the Open era, let alone the French Open.

Arguably yes. But nadal ao 22 is great competition. Sadly in case of alcaraz , the patterns were so set that odds makers give raz some 30% or so chance even down 2 sets. They don't respect sinner at all, they insult sinner and they were right.

 

[platypus50]

Also:

2013 Australian Open QF: David Ferrer def. Nicolas Almagro (4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-2). Almagro served for the match three times, once in the third set and twice in the fourth set.

Nico just could not get it done against Ferru that day, Ferru led 15-1 in their H2H with Nico finally getting his lone win in their last ever match

Ferru had nothing left in the tank in the 2013 AO SF vs Djokovic and got beaten to a pulp 2,2,1

 

[StrongRule]

Can't be bothered arguing with you.

Can't blame you for being tired of losing in every conversation.

 

[darthrafa]

no

1984 is the obvious answer here.

not recency bias
clay is relatively not mac's cup of tea
though it is similar to sinner, sinner performed very well in 2025 at fo
sinner had three CPs and then carlos had to break one game to survive
thus, i would say it is the most difficult and dramatic (really hate the term of greatest)

 

[Gizo]

McEnroe only lost 10 points in his first 10 service games in the 1984 RG final (including his opening one in the 3rd set). Not only did he not face any break points in those service games, but he was even't taken to deuce in any of them either.

Lendl did have game points in each of the service games that he was broken in during the first 2 sets, with a 40-0 lead in one of them, but he was getting pumelled at that stage. He then smartly began to chip his returns low to force Mac to volley up (he himself received this treatment from the likes of Becker and Cash on his 2nd serves at Wimbledon), found his range, grew in confidence and began to pass and lob Mac more and more mercilessly. After the final, he was physically drained (his fitness levels were nowhere near as strong then as they were when he won his 1986-1987 titles at RG).

McEnroe destroying Lendl over 6 consecutive sets against each other on clay / har-tru in Forest Hills, Dusseldorf (in the World Team Cup) and Roland Garros, only to then lose the next 3 and ultimately the match that really mattered, was pretty funny. In his first 28 service games vs Lendl in those 3 matches up to and including his opening one in the 3rd set in the RG final, he was only broken once, when he served at 6-4 5-1 up in the Forest Hills final and clearly lost concentration, before he immediately broke Lendl in the next game to wrap up an easy win. And I think he only even faced 8 break points in those 28 service games as well (3 in Forest Hills and 5 in Dusseldorf).

 

[Feather]

Alcaraz' comeback in this year's final was arguably the greatest comeback ever of any slam in the Open era, let alone the French Open.

You started watching Tennis in 2011, right?

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

Alca

 

[Hitman]

For me it is Alcaraz v Sinner by the slightest of margins....comes back from two sets down, three championship points down....it really doesn't get any closer than that.

Lendl v McEnroe is a very close second, considering just how dominant McEnroe was at that time, and Lendl losing four slam finals before, it was the ultimate challenge.

This is closely followed by Agassi v Medvedev and Djokovic v Tsitsipas. Both heroic comebacks on a historic level, Agassi becoming the first player to win a career slam on three different surfaces, and Djokovic becoming the first player to win a double career slam on three different surfaces. Legendary from them both.

 

[kevin qmto]

Idk how you don’t pick Agassi. Dude went from getting the crap kicked out of him for 2 sets, to coming back to win.

 

[Djokovic2011]

You started watching Tennis in 2011, right?

1993 actually.