Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry is amazing for tennis
Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero believes the Spaniard's rivalry with Jannik Sinner will lift the sport to new heights.
Alcaraz and Sinner, the world's top two players, contested their first grand slam final at the French Open – and it was an all-time classic.
Second seed Alcaraz came out on top after a five-hour, 29-minute marathon, the 22-year-old saving three championship points in the fourth set and winning after a tie-break in the fifth.
It was Alcaraz's second Roland Garros title, his fifth at grand slams, and means he and Italian world number one Sinner have shared the last six majors.
Anyone who feared men's tennis would struggle to fill the void left by the retirements of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and – in the not-too-distant future – Novak Djokovic, can rest easy.
'For the sport it's something amazing to have these players after Roger and Rafa – and Novak is still playing, of course – but this kind of rivalry that they have,' said former world number one Ferrero.
'Having these two guys fighting for big trophies, I think we have to be very happy about it in the sport of tennis.
'For them, for sure it's something that they raise their level every time that they go on the court.
'They know they have to play unbelievable tennis to beat the other guy and it's something that is going to help for sure each player to raise the level even more.'
Curiously, Alcaraz won major title number five at exactly the same age as his idol Nadal was when he won his fifth, in 2008 at Wimbledon; 22 years, one month and three days.
Nadal, of course, went on to collect 22 grand slam crowns including 14 at Roland Garros, and was honoured at this year's tournament following his retirement.
The coincidence was not lost on Ferrero, although he was keen to avoid too many comparisons between his fellow Spaniards.
'I think it's amazing,' added Ferrero. 'The same grand slams at the same age at the same day, it's something that looks unreal.
'It's something very curious. But we don't think too much about it. We try to write his own way.'
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