Analysis: Why does Alcaraz deserve to be the clay prince after Nadal?

It was the most dramatic French Open final in recent years. Alcaraz was once again crowned the champion of the French Open, and the "old king" Alcaraz was once again king.

In an epic contest that lasted more than five hours, Alcaraz came back from two sets down. It was also the first time in his career that he came back from 2-0 down in a Grand Slam final to win the feat, and he chose the perfect moment to achieve the feat.

The climax of the match didn't stop there – in the fourth set, Alcaraz faced three match points in a row. Sinner was 40-0 up on Alcaraz's serve but couldn't finish the match.

The Spaniard then won the tie on serve at 5-4 in the deciding set, but was unable to capitalise on his chance, allowing Sinner to take the match to a deuce. Sinner pressed again at 6-5 but was still unsuccessful and went into a tie-break, while Alcaraz won with a series of brilliant shots to win his second French Open title and fifth Grand Slam title.

This is a very important milestone for Alcaraz, who is only 22 years old. He still has a long way to go in his career, and there are still plenty of opportunities to win more accolades. But for now, we might as well call him the "Prince of Clay", although he may be one step away from the title of "King of Clay".

This may sound like an exaggeration, but it's not. Nadal is the undisputed "King of Clay", he is unique and cannot be replicated, and no one can dominate an era on clay like him. But now, a new leader has emerged, and he's been impatient on clay.

We take a look at Alcaraz's achievements on clay so far. His cumulative clay record is 165-37, a winning rate of 82%, which is an excellent result. In fact, this statistic may be slightly underestimated due to his inconsistent early performances.

Just this year, he has a 22-1 record on clay; Last year it was 17-4; The year before it was 27-3. In other words, his overall record on clay over the past three years is 56-7, a whopping 89 percent win rate.

It's not just good – it's legendary, and that's why we say he's the "Prince of Clay". In fact, he has been firmly seated in this role for almost three years.

Today's victory is the most powerful confirmation of this identity. He's playing against the world No. 1, and Sinner is really playing at the level that the world No. 1 deserves. Sinner was in excellent form and was one step away from victory – he had three match points on Alcaraz's serve.

If he wins those match points, we may be talking about the beginning of the "Sinner era" today. After all, it would be the Italian player's third consecutive Grand Slam trophy and it was on clay that he defeated Alcaraz, an opponent who is almost unbeatable on clay.

But Alcaraz withstood the pressure, won the match, and cemented his legendary status even further. His tally of Grand Slams has increased to five, including two French Open titles, and he has won back-to-back titles.

This victory is almost unsurpassed, and there is no more convincing performance than this. As for how long he will reign as a "prince of red clay", it remains to be seen by time. He's in solid form and position at the moment, but the world of tennis is extremely competitive and he still needs to keep proving himself on the court.

Time will tell. But at least in the last three years, and especially this year, Alcaraz has come closest to the 'King of Clay' we've ever seen. He has beaten Sinner in back-to-back matches, and this time Sinner is in great form – but it still can't stop Alcaraz.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)