Carlos Alcaraz claimed the French Open title for the first time as he beat Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 1-6 6-2 on Sunday.
Alcaraz was staring down the barrel of a defeat when Zverev emphatically came back from conceding an early break of serve to take the third set and a 2-1 lead.
Yet the Spaniard turned on the style in the fourth, needing just 41 minutes to take the set and tee up a decider.
Alcaraz grabbed the first, crucial break, and then clawed back four break points to hold onto that advantage.
A second break followed in game seven, paving the way for Alcaraz to win his third grand slam title when he sent a brilliant shot into the corner.
Neither player started confidently as the first set began with back-to-back breaks of serve, but it was Alcaraz who took an error-strewn opener, slamming a powerful forehand past Zverev on set point.
A downcast Zverev shouted at his box as the mistakes continued at the start of the second set, but a lengthy hold was the catalyst for a sudden upturn as his aggression and power began to overwhelm Alcaraz on the longer rallies.
The German took five straight games to level things up, even drawing applause from Alcaraz with a flicked backhand winner at the net, one of the shots of the tournament.
Alcaraz initially came on strong in the third set, breaking to love in the fifth game courtesy of some expert play at the net, but Zverev roared back to inch ahead, converting his second set point with an overhead smash.
The momentum switched yet again in the fourth as Alcaraz rediscovered his groove either side of a medical timeout for treatment on his left leg, Zverev's consistency tailing off as he only won 46 per cent of points behind his first serve.
Alcaraz did not let it slip from there, breaking Zverev in game three of the decider, before brilliantly saving four break points himself in the very next game.
With Zverev's resolve broken, Alcaraz duly served out, etching his name on the French Open trophy alongside legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Data Debrief: He's a superstar
Alcaraz, aged 21 years and 35 days, is the second-youngest player in the Open Era to win all his first three major finals, after Bjorn Borg (20 years and 27 days).
He is also the youngest player in the Open Era to win the singles title at three different grand slams, with the Australian Open the only one missing from the set.
Alcaraz has taken the fewest main draw appearances of any player in the Open Era to win titles on grass, clay and hard courts, and is the youngest player to win majors on clay, grass and hard court, surpassing Nadal.
Record-champion Nadal may well have made his farewell Roland-Garros appearance, but the future of tennis is in safe hands with his heir apparent.
'A part of me left with them' says Djokovic after Nadal, Murray retirements
Novak Djokovic said a part of him had "left" after Rafael Nadal followed his other great rivals Roger Federer and Andy Murray in announcing his retirement.
Djokovic enjoyed a long-lasting rivalry with Nadal, along with Federer and Murray, with tennis' 'Big Four' winning a combined 69 grand slam titles.
The Serbian is currently aiming to join Federer and Jimmy Connors as the only players to achieve 100 ATP Tour-level titles, and is two games away from doing so at the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic overcame a plucky display from Czech teenager Jakub Mensik on Friday, coming from a set down to win 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4 and progress to a record 77th semi-final at Masters 1000 events.
The triumph came a day after Nadal confirmed he would retire next month, following 60 head-to-head meetings with Djokovic, the latest coming at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
Djokovic won 31 of those encounters, with four coming in grand slam finals at the US Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
With Federer announcing his retirement in 2022 and Murray calling time on his career after the Olympics, Djokovic will soon be the only active player from the 'Big Four' that dominated the sport for many years.
And while the Serbian is still enjoying his tennis, he got emotional at the "overwhelming" feeling of being the last man standing.
"He has been my greatest rival and my rivalry with him has impacted me the most in my career by far," Djokovic said.
"We knew that moment is coming sooner than later but it's still a shock.
"When it came officially for Roger a few years ago as well, when he announced retirement and Andy as well this year. It's overwhelming for me to be honest.
"I don't know what to make of it. I still enjoy competing but part of me left with them. A big part of me. It's tough news for the tennis world, the sports world.
"Rafa is an inspiration to millions of children around the world so he can be very proud of his career."
Djokovic to monitor Mensik after fighting back in Shanghai thriller
Novak Djokovic said Jakub Mensik was one to watch after being forced to fight from a set down to beat the teenager in a dramatic Shanghai Masters quarter-final on Friday.
Djokovic prevailed 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4 in two hours and 19 minutes to maintain his quest for a 100th ATP Tour-level title, advancing to a record 77th semi-final at Masters 1000 events.
Though he lost control in the second set, Mensik advanced his reputation as an elite server by registering 17 aces to Djokovic's seven throughout the course of the contest, with seven of those arriving in the opening set.
The Czech, ranked 65th, had defeated world number six Andrey Rublev and number nine Grigor Dimitrov en route to the last eight, and Djokovic was impressed by the fight he put up.
"We went toe-to-toe until the last moment," Djokovic said. "I was fortunate to find great serves in the last game, a couple of aces, that helps.
"I didn't serve that well at the end of the first set when I was serving for it. He managed to turn things around by playing a good tie-break."
Asked about Mensik's potential, Djokovic said: "I could see today why he is one of the best servers we have in the game.
"He is only 19, the future is very bright for him. He knows that I am always there for him, whatever he needs.
"Jakub is somebody that I have been following for the last three or four years, ever since he played the junior finals of the Australian Open.
"We like playing each other, we raise the level when we face each other. We've played a lot of practice sets and it's always fun."
Djokovic will now face Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals on Saturday, with a spot in Sunday's final – against Jannik Sinner or Tomas Machac – on the line.
Zheng to face Wang in first all-Chinese WTA 1000 semi-final in Wuhan
World number seven Zheng Qinwen will face Wang Xinyu in the first all-Chinese semi-final at a WTA 1000 event on Saturday, following the duo's quarter-final victories on Friday.
Zheng overcame Wimbledon and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the last eight of the Wuhan Open, teasing several errors out of the Italian in the deciding set of a big-hitting encounter.
She has now won more matches since the end of Wimbledon (23) than any other player on the WTA Tour, and her next opponent will be compatriot Wang.
Wang came through a gruelling encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier on Friday, saving two match points en route to a 4-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6) victory.
Making her first WTA 1000 semi-final, the world number 51 is the second-lowest ranked player to ever reach that stage in Wuhan.
The winner of Saturday's tie will take on either Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff in the final, with both players bidding to become the first Chinese player to go all the way at the tournament.
Data Debrief: Rare home contest in the offing
Since the inception of WTA 1000 events in 2009, only two local pairs have met in a semi-final match in the format, ahead of Zheng and Wang becoming the third this weekend.
Serena and Venus Williams faced off in Miami in 2009, while Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin battled it out in the final four of the 2019 Cincinnati Open.
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