French Open men's semifinal results: Jannik Sinner bests Novak Djokovic, will face Carlos Alcaraz in final
After a pair of thrilling semifinals at Roland-Garros, the 2025 French Open Final is set. Carlos Alcaraz will attempt to defend his title against the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to advance to his first French Open Final.
Sinner and Djokovic traded points throughout the tight matchup, before Sinner was able to pull out the 6-4, 7-5, 7(7)-6(3) win.
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Sinner snatched the first set, and later the second, with a few key games. The young Italian was often overpowered Djokovic throughout the match, but Djokovic's tactical advantages gave him a chance to fight back.
The third set started the way the other two did, with Djokovic taking a narrow lead before Sinner matched it. But Djokovic held strong, not allowing Sinner to pass him throughout the set. However, towards the end, the Serbian's attempt to close out the set were foiled by Sinner, who ducked three set points and won two straight games to force a tiebreaker.
Sinner stayed relentless during the tiebreak, sending Djokovic all over the court to take an early lead. Djokovic made a few crucial mistakes, at one point missing an easy point after being blinded by the stadium lights.
Djokovic fought back for a few more points, including a save on a match point, but Sinner's victory seemed inevitable. The young Italian iced the win as Djokovic hit the ball into the net — his 53rd unforced error of the matchup.
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Djokovic's French Open run comes to an early end, with the 38-year-old losing a semifinal in straight sets for the first time in 15 years.
Sinner, meanwhile, moves on to his first final at Roland-Garros. The 23-year-old Italian is on an unprecedented run this year, and will aim to win his third Grand Slam in a row after winning the 2024 U.S. Open and 2025 Australian Open.
Alcaraz moves on after Lorenzo Musetti is forced to retire
In the first semifinal of the day, Alcaraz started slow, but he found his stride when it mattered. Despite some early struggles, Alcaraz rallied to defeat Lorenzo Musetti (4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 2-0) in the French Open semifinal Friday. Alcaraz won in the middle of the fourth set after an injury forced Musetti to retire.
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With the win, Alcaraz advanced to the French Open final for the second-straight year. He won the event in 2024, beating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Early on, it looked as though Alcaraz would have a tough time repeating as a finalist. Some early errors by Alcaraz — with his serve and at the net — caused him to drop the first set to Musetti 4-6. Alcaraz displayed similar struggles in the second set, but slowly got his game under control. Though Musetti forced a tiebreak, Alcaraz took the second set 7-6.
That was all he needed to get going. Finally playing to his potential, Alcaraz dominated the third set, winning 6-0. After the fifth game in the set, Musetti was seen receiving treatment on the sideline. That, combined with Alcaraz finding his stride, led to the Italian's downfall.
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While Musetti tried to keep going in the fourth set, his injury proved to be too much. Musetti retired down 2-0 in the fourth set, likely due to a left hamstring injury. He could be seen rubbing his left hamstring as the match went on.
Sinner and Alcaraz will face off in the final on Sunday.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Stan Wawrinka's French Open 2015: Novak Djokovic, a backhand, and some famous shorts
ROLAND GARROS, PARIS — Ten years ago this weekend, an expectant Roland Garros crowd awaited a coronation. The erstwhile king of clay, nine-time champion Rafael Nadal, had been deposed in the quarterfinal, and the man who had dished out that comprehensive defeat, Novak Djokovic, would assume the throne. Advertisement Djokovic was the dominant world No. 1, having won two of the previous three majors. All he needed to complete the career Grand Slam was the French Open, and having won his previous 28 matches, he was the overwhelming favourite to do so on a sunny Paris afternoon in June 2015. Having finally got past Nadal at Roland Garros after losing to him six times, Djokovic saw the finish line that had looked unreachable for so long. Instead, Djokovic was on the receiving end of one of the finest performances ever seen in a men's Grand Slam final. The greatest player in the world was reduced to the role of supporting actor by Stan Wawrinka, who delivered a masterclass of a performance in possibly the most hideous shorts ever seen on a tennis court. Wawrinka won three Grand Slams, the Davis Cup and an Olympic gold in doubles, but this was the high point of his career. Aside from Djokovic's performance against Nadal in 2021, and countless examples by the Spaniard, it was the finest at Roland Garros by any man in the modern era. Wawrinka hit 60 winners to Djokovic's 30, and only made four more unforced errors: 45 to 41. He won 76 percent of his first-serve points against the sport's best returner, who that year was at his statistical peak, winning 93 percent of his matches in 2015. The French Open final was the only match Djokovic lost at a major that year. The defeat coming against someone playing such courageous tennis is why Wawrinka's triumph still resonates. Those who follow sports tend to root for this kind of upset, for bravery to be rewarded in this way, but it rarely happens. Normally, the underdog eventually runs out of steam. Not Wawrinka, who was nicknamed 'diesel' by his Swiss compatriot Roger Federer, for the way he seemed to get stronger as matches wore on. Wawrinka beat Djokovic in Paris, and again in the U.S. Open final the following year, having lost the first set. On only two other occasions in his 37 major finals has Djokovic won the first set but lost the match. Advertisement Wawrinka called it the 'match of my life' in his on-court interview, and a decade on, he sticks with that view. 'If you look at all the things like it being the French Open final, Novak Djokovic, No. 1 in the world, he has won almost 30 matches in a row, and playing the way I played for more than three hours, yes probably,' he said in a video interview from Roland Garros last month, where he was still competing, aged 40. The overall win was achieved with some outlandish moments, including a single-handed backhand winner down the line in the third set that he hit in the postage-stamp gap between the net post and the IBM box. 😱 @stanwawrinka goes around the net in the 2015 French Open final 🏆 🇫🇷 Roland Garros – #YouSayWePlay: Best Men's Finals 📅 June 5 ⏰ 10:30 📺 Eurosport 1 📱💻🖥 Eurosport Player: — Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) June 4, 2020 It was that kind of day. Wawrinka occupied a curious place in men's tennis in 2015. He could blast anyone off the court on his day, but he was never as consistent as the Big Four. Nor did he have, nor want, their otherworldly levels of dedication and focus. When Wawrinka reached the French Open final, he said that growing up, his dream was to play at Roland Garros, not to win it. Winning it was for 'mutants,' he said. This explains why Wawrinka, who won as many majors as Andy Murray, never made the Big Four a Big Five — even in his own mind. 'He's clearly in a completely different league than me,' Wawrinka told UK newspaper The Times last year. Wawrinka reached four Grand Slam finals to Murray's 11, nine Grand Slam semifinals to Murray's 21, and won one ATP Masters 1,000 title (the rung below the majors) to Murray's 14. Wawrinka also beat the Big Three far less often than Murray — he had 12 wins against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to Murray's 29 — and he had dreadful head-to-head records against Federer and Nadal. Advertisement Wawrinka was a giant-killer, but only on a few extremely memorable occasions. He beat defending champion Djokovic at the 2014 Australian Open, before beating Nadal, who picked up an early injury, in the final. That run, together with his wins over Federer and Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2015, makes him the last man to beat two of the Big Three at the same Grand Slam. When he won his first Grand Slam in Melbourne, Wawrinka was 28, and his late-career blossoming came after making some important changes to his team. He brought in Magnus Norman as his coach in 2013, alongside Federer's former physical trainer, Pierre Paganini. Both turned out to be inspired decisions — those two appointments transformed his mind and body. Norman turned out to be especially important to Wawrinka's Roland Garros win, having reached the final himself in 2000. He also masterminded what was at the time the only win over Nadal at the French Open, coaching Robin Söderling to his 2009 upset. There were echoes of that fearless performance in Wawrinka's upset of Djokovic. 'Both amazing performances,' Norman said in a video interview from his home in Stockholm last month before joining up with Wawrinka, who he still coaches, for this year's French Open. 'They both went out to win the match instead of hoping the other would give it away. So it's fair to compare those two wins.' Wawrinka and Norman felt good about 2015 from the start. Wawrinka lost in the French Open first round the previous year, but he felt good this time — helped by beating Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome a couple of weeks earlier. At Roland Garros, Wawrinka only dropped one set in the first four rounds, to set up a quarterfinal against Federer. He had only won two of his 18 matches against his compatriot, and never found it easy playing him. The previous year they had won the Davis Cup together a couple of weeks after a locker-room argument at the ATP Finals, which followed a feisty semifinal encounter. Wawrinka said that 'it's always been mentally tricky' facing him, so to get the better of him, in straight sets, 'gave me extra confidence for after.' Advertisement Wawrinka's 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(4) victory was the only time he beat Federer at a major, and he lost their final eight meetings. In the semifinals, he outlasted the home favorite, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, on a sweltering afternoon in Paris, in front of a crowd desperately trying to get their man over the line. It helped that Wawrinka, a Francophone from Lausanne, which is close to the French border, was an honorary home player in Paris. Wawrinka's 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3), 6-4 win lasted nearly four hours. The length of the match had a huge bearing on his destiny. It meant that the second semifinal of the day, between Djokovic and Murray, had to be stopped for bad light with the score at two sets all. Wawrinka could then spend the Saturday practicing with Norman, while Djokovic had to come back and play a fifth set. They hit together on an outside court while listening to the noise from Court Philippe-Chatrier, interpreting who Wawrinka's final opponent would be through the cheers of the crowd. They watched the final stages in the locker room, discovering that it was going to be Djokovic after all. Norman said the prep was going to be fairly similar, whoever ended up winning. Wawrinka said that ordinarily, he would have had a preference for who he played, but on this occasion, was fine either way. 'Because with Novak he's the biggest challenge but at the same time if I lose, it's not that bad,' he said of a player who he remains close to. Wawrinka went into the match having lost his last 14 matches against Djokovic, and his feeling that there was nothing to lose stood in contrast with Djokovic being on the cusp of history. Murray's coach at the time, Amélie Mauresmo, picked up on Djokovic's edginess during the semifinal. 'He is very tense there, very tense,' Mauresmo said in a news conference. Norman felt confident because of how relaxed Wawrinka seemed, alongside his ability to out-hit opponents. His charge's calm was an illusion. Advertisement 'I've been trying to hide it for 20 years,' he said. 'The Sunday, I felt way more nervous. I was really not feeling comfortable, thinking that I was 30 years old, so maybe it's going to be my last final.' Wawrinka went in knowing that any lapses would be terminal. 'In a second, he can be back,' Wawrinka said of Djokovic's resilience. 'He can break you because he is always going to put you under pressure. He returns every single ball, he's going to make you play all the time. So you cannot mentally open up even a little bit — you have to be full focus on what you're going to do and the way you're going to do it until the last point.' He was so nervous he even had a couple of drinks the night before the final — another sign of the everyman quality that made him more relatable than many elite athletes. When Djokovic won the first set, the key for Wawrinka was not to start panicking. He and Norman had spoken before the match about taking it one set at a time. When Djokovic sent a backhand long to give up the second set and then smashed his racket, Wawrinka knew that he was properly in the final: 'At that point, I felt like, 'I'm gonna make it difficult for him from now on.' If he wins, that means he's better than me, but I know I'm going to deliver my best,' he said. Tactically, a key message from Norman was that Wawrinka needed to find a balance between playing aggressively, but not going for broke too quickly. They felt confident that Wawrinka's heavier groundstrokes could wear Djokovic down. Wawrinka could live with the backhand-to-backhand exchanges that so few players could, and could even dominate them. Swinging freely when trailing is one thing. It's another to do it as the finish line gets closer. But Wawrinka started playing more aggressively and with more panache as he got closer to victory, playing a close-to-perfect return game with Djokovic serving at 2-3 in the third set. He hit a huge forehand that Djokovic couldn't handle, a forehand winner down the line, a backhand winner down the line, and then a forehand winner crosscourt. The greatest return game anyone has ever played against Novak Djokovic. Happy 40th birthday to the amazing @stanwawrinka 🌟 — Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 28, 2025 Watching the game back, Wawrinka said: 'I was feeling good. I just felt like: 'You're in the final, you're confident, you're playing your best tennis, you can go for the shot and just make decisions. When you decide to do something, just do it, don't hesitate, don't think too much.'' Two games later, Wawrinka hit one of the finest shots seen in a Grand Slam final, when he dealt with an angled Djokovic backhand by threading the needle in a way very few players can. 'I saw his short cross and I was like, 'I don't have much option,'' Wawrinka said, watching it back. 'So I just thought, I would slide a little bit longer — make the ball go a little more and go between.' The best shot of his career? 'I think the best shot is the match point, because it was the one that won the title.' Though it feels inevitable looking back that Wawrinka would win, he played the big points better than Djokovic, which was, and remains, one of the hardest tasks in men's tennis. Wawrinka came from 30-0 down on Djokovic's break at 5-4 in the second set, and then fought back from 0-40 down on his own serve at 3-4 in the fourth set, immediately breaking Djokovic at 4-4 to get the chance to serve for the title.. Wawrinka also saved a break point when serving out his 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win. Advertisement As he predicted, Djokovic was going to be right there until the very end, ready to pounce and turn things around. Wawrinka's bravery is what struck those who were there, including Djokovic. 'I lost to a better player who played some courageous tennis and deserved to win,' he said in his post-match news conference. The on-court trophy presentation was emotional. Djokovic, runner-up for a third time with everyone believing it was his year, cried as he was given a two-minute round of applause by a French crowd who had taken him to their hearts in his unexpected defeat. Djokovic went on to win the French Open 12 months later and a decade on, Djokovic believes that Wawrinka produced one of the best performances ever put in against him. 'It was one of the toughest losses for me because by that time I still hadn't won Roland Garros,' he said in a news conference in April. 'I'm not playing Rafa for a change in the finals, and I liked my chances to win my first French Open title. But then Stan stole it from me, and he played some incredible tennis.' Wawrinka credited Norman in his on-court interview. 'This one is for you. You've won it,' he said. 'I still get the shivers thinking about it. It was so unselfish of him to do it. He knew how much that meant to me,' Norman said 10 years later. The backhand. The courage. The power. But what about the red, white and grey plaid shorts? They became a major talking point during Wawrinka's title run, and he draped them over the desk as he came in for his post-final press conference. 'It will be in the museum of Roland Garros,' Wawrinka said as he entered the interview room. 'You will see my shorts every day if you want.' 'We still joke around telling that the reason why he played so well is because of the shorts,' Djokovic said in April, before adding with a laugh: 'I don't know how many of you remember the famous shorts that he was wearing, and I really hated him since then. But, no, we're good buddies, of course I joke. He's an incredible player, someone I really admire as a person as well.' Advertisement The shorts are now hanging up on a wall in Norman's house in Stockholm. 'He gave them to me, with the match shirt and everything,' Norman said. 'He framed them for me. I love them, of course.' After that Roland Garros title, Wawrinka beat Djokovic in the following year's U.S. Open final, and was then destroyed by Nadal in the French Open final of 2017. He had knee surgery shortly after and has never been a regular presence at the sharp end of majors since. Once he retires, Norman's plan is for the whole team to go and celebrate Wawrinka's career achievements, in a way that's often hard to do in the moment. For the moment, Wawrinka carries on, ranked No. 138 and regularly playing ATP Challenger tournaments, the rung below the professional tour. He and Norman insist that he continues because of his love and passion for the sport. His willingness to do that and dedication to his craft are as impressive to Djokovic as the performance that broke his heart 10 years ago. He's very underestimated in the discussions,' Djokovic said. 'He's won an Olympic gold, three Grand Slams, just an amazing career. He's 40 years old, with god knows how many surgeries on the knees and everything, and he's still pushing, still coming in, still coming in early in the tournament. 'Showing up, one of the first people that shows up in the club, and practices early, and does everything that he needs to do, even more. So that's super impressive. I really admire him and Andy (Murray) as well for that, going to the Challenger level, trying to build your rankings, trying to get matches. 'I've never done that, never was in that position that I have to, hopefully I don't need to, build rankings again back to go to Challenger level. But I really admire that. That says a lot about the champion spirit and mentality that these guys have.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Coco Gauff breaks silence on Aryna Sabalenka's comments after 2nd Grand Slam win
The post Coco Gauff breaks silence on Aryna Sabalenka's comments after 2nd Grand Slam win appeared first on ClutchPoints. Coco Gauff has been the name on everyone's lips since she impressively claimed her second Grand Slam trophy with a win in the French Open final, including Aryna Sabalenka, whom Gauff beat for the Roland-Garros title. The World No. 1 told the media that she believed she lost because of her own errors, not because Gauff outplayed her, and the newly crowned champion didn't mince words with her response. Advertisement 'I don't agree with that. I mean, I'm sitting here,' Gauff began with a smile. 'No shade to Iga or anything, but I played her, and I won in straight sets. I don't think that's a fair thing to say. Anything can really happen. 'Honestly, the way Aryna was playing the last few weeks, she was the favorite to win. I think she was the best person I could've played in the final. Her being No. 1 in the world, she was just the best person to play. 'I think I got the hardest matchup, just if you go off stats alone. Obviously, Iga being a champion here, it was going to be a tough match either way. But yeah, regardless of who I played, I think I had a good shot to win, and I definitely had that belief. 'If you ask me honestly who I wanted to play, it was Iga. Just because I felt Aryna was playing so good. Obviously, Iga is a tough opponent too. Honestly, neither of them would've been the better shot,' Gauff joked. 'But it played out how it played out, and that's why I'm here today.' 'Wow. This means so much to me, truly… French Open champion,' Gauff said in her post with a teary-eyed emoji. 'I worked so hard for this moment, and for it to have happened is insane. Thank you God, and thank you everyone. This means the world…. I'm still in shock honestly, can't find the words but all I can say for now is just thank you and never give up on your dreams,' she concluded with a heart hand emoji. Related: Coco Gauff's stunned reaction to unexpected personality at Roland Garros Related: Coco Gauff's stunning Roland-Garros win earns shoutouts from Obamas, sports stars
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Coco Gauff's stunning Roland-Garros win earns shoutouts from Obamas, sports stars
The post Coco Gauff's stunning Roland-Garros win earns shoutouts from Obamas, sports stars appeared first on ClutchPoints. Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff is the much-deserved center of attention after bouncing back from a first-set loss to ultimately claim the French Open title over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Many notable names, star athletes, and celebrities turned out in celebration of Gauff's impressive showing, including both Barack and Michelle Obama, Billie Jean King, Lisa Leslie, and possibly the world's most famous sports fan, Spike Lee. Advertisement 'Congratulations [Coco Gauff] for an amazing championship at the French Open,' the former U.S. President said on X, formerly Twitter. 'The first American singles champion at [Roland-Garros] in a decade. You make us all proud.' Meanwhile, Michelle's post was full of praise. 'Congrats!' the former First Lady began. 'Your determination, strength, and grace throughout the French Open [have] inspired us all – and showed us what's possible. Proud of you! Gauff even caught the attention of tennis icon Billie Jean King. 'Congratulations to [Coco Gauff] on her second Grand Slam women's singles title, and her first singles title at Roland-Garros! Outstanding!' WNBA legend Lisa Leslie also chimed in with a personal message, sharing feelings of pride over the 21-year-old's massive career achievement. Advertisement 'You are a fighter and represent your family, our country, and women's sports with class and toughness! We are so proud of you, champ!!! It's only the beginning! The future has arrived. Great job,' Leslie said. 'I'd seen him at my matches at [the] US Open, and then when I saw him on the court today — I saw him when I was warming up, they panned the camera to him in the gym when I was warming up — and I was like oh my god, Spike Lee's there,' Gauff gushed. 'When I saw him on the court, I was like if I win this match, first person I'm going to dap up is Spike Lee. And so once I won the match and went on the ground and everything, I was headed straight to Spike Lee,' she continued with a smile. Advertisement 'You know, even though the Knicks didn't win, I'm glad I gave him something to cheer for,' Gauff jokingly concluded with a laugh. Related: Coco Gauff's stunned reaction to unexpected personality at Roland Garros Related: Coco Gauff breaks silence on Aryna Sabalenka's comments after 2nd Grand Slam win
