<\/p>\n
With the regular European football seasons now over, fans have been looking elsewhere to get their sporting fix \u2013 at least until the Club World Cup kicks off on June 14.<\/p>\n
Those who tuned in to the final of the French Open certainly got their fix \u2013 and then some \u2013 as they witnessed one of the greatest tennis matches of all time.<\/p>\n
In a five-set, five-and-a-half-hour epic, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz came from two sets down \u2013 saving multiple championship points along the way \u2013 to defeat Jannik Sinner and claim his second consecutive Roland Garros title and the fifth Grand Slam of his young career.<\/p>\n
As the dust settled, congratulations flooded in for the 22-year-old phenom, including from some of world football\u2019s biggest names and clubs, many of whom were clearly watching.<\/p>\n
Real Madrid<\/a>, the club Alcaraz supports, led the tributes, posting: “All madridistas are happy and proud of this brilliant success achieved by one of our own.”<\/p>\n Former Real midfielder Toni Kroos reshared a 2022 photo of himself with Alcaraz \u2013 originally captioned “The future. And me.” \u2013 this time adding a short, smug follow-up: \u201cTold you.\u201d<\/p>\n Current Real No. 1 Thibaut Courtois posted a photo of Alcaraz to his Instagram Stories, writing: \u201cBrutal.\u201d Vin\u00edcius Jr. also shared a shot of the Spaniard lifting the trophy, with the one-word caption: \u201cLocura\u201d<\/em>\u2014meaning \u201cMadness\u201d in Spanish.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Brazilian star Neymar Jr. \u2013 whom Alcaraz has previously cited as one of his all-time favourite players<\/a> \u2013 also offered his congratulations, as did Tottenham and England striker Dominic Solanke.<\/p>\n\n