What are Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer’s records in 5th sets?
A fifth set provides the ultimate physical and mental test in men’s tennis — and no player in history can match Carlos Alcaraz when a Grand Slam match goes the distance.
In an epic 2025 French Open final lasting five and a half hours, Alcaraz defeated his biggest rival Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) after saving three championship points to claim his fifth major crown.
The triumph improved Alcaraz’s staggering record in five-set matches to 13-1, which equates to 92.9% — the highest fifth set win rate among all players who have contested at least 10 Grand Slam matches.
Following his previous five-set win — which was against Frances Tiafoe at Wimbledon last year — Alcaraz spoke about the incredible statistic.
“In the fifth set, I think I increase my tennis, my level. I feel great physically and that helps a lot to play more calmly than the opponent,” the Spaniard explained.
“I feel much better than the opponent physically and mentally. I know that the other guy has to play at a really high level of tennis and intensity in the fifth set if he wants to beat me. That helps me a lot to deal much better with those difficult situations in the fifth set.
“I’m playing with the stats that I just lost one match in the fifth set. That’s an advantage for me. That’s why I am feeling really, really well physically and in those situations I play at my high level.
“In my head, I’m thinking that I’m good in the [fifth set] and have the belief that I am going to win, I’m going to play my best tennis.
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“In every match that I’ve played five sets, I played really close or my best tennis. I realised that I’m good at it and I believe that I’m going to win. I think that’s a good point for me.”
Alcaraz’s only defeat in a match that went five sets was against Matteo Berrettini in the third round of the 2022 Australian Open.
He was just 18 at the time and fell in a match tiebreak to the Italian, who was ranked seventh and went on to reach the semi-finals.
How does Alcaraz’s five-set record compare to those of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Jannik Sinner?
Novak Djokovic – 40–11 (78.4%)
Rafael Nadal – 26–13 (66.7%)
Roger Federer – 33–23 (58.9%)
Jannik Sinner – 6–10 (37.5%)
Bjorn Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, holds the second highest win rate in five-set Grand Slam matches after Alcaraz.
The Swedish icon won 20 of his 23 five-setters at majors (87%) and amassed a 5-1 record in Grand Slam finals that went to a deciding set.
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