Top five youngest players to defend men's singles title at French Open

Mats Wilander is the youngest ever to defend his French Open title.

Securing a Grand Slam title in Paris is a dream come true for every youngster who aspires to be a tennis player, but winning the French Open multiple times, especially in consecutive years, elevates a player to legendary status.

Given the physically grueling demands of clay courts, which demand immense physical activity and grit, successfully defending titles at Roland-Garros remains an exceptionally rare and prestigious achievement.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five youngest players to defend the men’s singles title at the French Open.

Carlos Alcaraz – 22 years, 1 month (2024, 2025)

Carlos Alcaraz became the fifth-youngest player to successfully defend the French Open title, showing remarkable resilience in a dramatic final against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. After dropping the first two sets and falling a break behind in the third, Alcaraz saved three championship points in the fourth set before clawing his way back to force a deciding fifth set.

He ultimately sealed victory in a tense 10-point tiebreak, completing one of the most memorable comebacks in Roland-Garros history. A year earlier, in 2024, the Spaniard had claimed his maiden French Open crown with another five-set thriller, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final.

Jim Courier – 21 years, 9 months (1991, 1992)

Jim Courier’s first French Open title came in 1991 at age 20, when he defeated Andre Agassi in a dramatic five-set final. The following year, Courier defended his title, overcoming Petr Korda in the final.

His back-to-back titles made him the first American to defend Roland Garros since the 1940s. Courier’s 1992 victory was part of a run that saw him reach all four Grand Slam finals in 12 months.

Rafael Nadal – 20 years, 2 days ( 2005, 2006)

Rafael Nadal’s clay-court legend began in 2005 when, just after his 19th birthday, he won his maiden French Open by defeating Mariano Puerta in the final. In 2006, Nadal, now 20, returned as the favorite and defended his title with a memorable four-set victory over Roger Federer in the final.

The ‘King of Clay’ only showed a glimpse of the future, as he became the greatest ever to perform at Roland Garros, amassing a record total of 14 titles.

Bjorn Borg – 19 years, 10 days (1974, 1975)

Bjorn Borg captured his first French Open just after turning 18 in 1974, rallying from two sets down to defeat Manuel Orantes in the final. At 19, Borg returned to Paris and defended his crown in 1975, beating Guillermo Vilas in straight sets.

These consecutive victories marked the beginning of Borg’s dominance on clay, as he would go on to win six French Open titles in total, becoming one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Mats Wilander – 18 years, 9 months (1982, 1983)

Swedish prodigy Mats Wilander burst onto the scene at the 1982 French Open, capturing the title at just 17 years and 9 months with a stunning straight-sets victory over clay-court legend Guillermo Vilas. His calm demeanour, strategic brilliance, and remarkable consistency impressed the tennis world and established him as a rising star.

In 1983, Wilander returned to Roland-Garros at age 18, now with greater physical strength and tactical maturity. He successfully defended his title by defeating French star Yannick Noah in the final, keeping the enthusiastic home crowd quiet with his composure under pressure.

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