Sinner-Alcaraz final 'doesn't get any bigger'

BBC News

5 hours ago

French Open 2025 - men's singles finalDate: Sunday, 8 June Time: 14:00 BST Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentary across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
The latest chapter in the burgeoning rivalry between the two brightest talents in men's tennis will play out on one of the sport's grandest stages for the first time in Sunday's French Open final.World number one Jannik Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz meet in a tantalising Paris showpiece, having already captured seven major titles between them.The first Grand Slam final to feature two players born in 2000s heralds the beginning of a new era in the men's game - but only one can leave Paris with their perfect record in major finals intact. "It doesn't get any bigger now. It's a special moment for me and for Carlos," said Italy's Sinner."The tension you feel before the match and during the match is a little bit different in a way, because we are both very young, we are both different, but talented."
'The rivalry the sport needs'
This will be the first French Open men's final between two players aged 23 or under in more than three decades.Spanish 22-year-old Alcaraz has already amassed four Grand Slams - including beating Alexander Zverev in five sets to win last year's Roland Garros final.All three Grand Slam triumphs for Sinner, 23, have come on hard courts - and he is seeking to become only the sixth man in the Open era to win three consecutive majors.It is the first time Alcaraz and Sinner have faced off in a major final - but it is unlikely to be the last.
Whatever the outcome on Sunday, Alcaraz and Sinner will have carved up the past six majors between them as they assert themselves in the post 'Big Three' era.Speaking after his semi-final loss to Sinner, the 38-year-old Novak Djokovic said of the pair: "They're definitely great for tennis, both of them. "I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt."The way they are playing and approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers in the next years."I'm sure that we're going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often."
'It's fun and not fun' - Sinner's kryptonite
Following his US Open and Australian Open triumphs, Sinner goes into the French Open final on a 20-match winning streak at the majors.The youngest man to reach three consecutive Grand Slam singles finals since Pete Sampras in 1994, his unshakeable consistency combined with devastating precision means he is yet to drop a set in Paris this year.But Alcaraz has proved to be Sinner's kryptonite of late.
Since the start of his title-winning run at the China Open in September 2023, Sinner - who served a three-month doping suspension between February and May - has lost just nine of the 120 matches he has contested.But four of those defeats have come in his past four meetings with Alcaraz, including in straight sets in the Italian Open final on clay last month.Asked if he enjoys the challenge of facing Alcaraz, whom he trails 7-4 in the overall head-to-head, Sinner joked: "It's fun and not fun."I think we try to push ourselves in the best possible way. "I believe when there is a good match, it's also good to play [it]. It's very special."
Alcaraz prepared for 'beautiful suffering'
Following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal as the second Spaniard to reach five major men's singles finals, Alcaraz could emulate his childhood hero by winning his fifth major at the exact same age: 22 years, one month and three days.The two-time Wimbledon champion has taken just 82 matches to reach 70 wins at slams - quicker than all but Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who took 81.He improved his record on clay this season to 21 wins in 22 matches - including title wins in Monte Carlo and Rome - after Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury when trailing in their semi-final."Most of the time it is just about suffering," Alcaraz said when asked what it would take to beat either Sinner or Djokovic after winning Friday's first semi-final."But my favourite thing is that it gives me the feedback of how I can be a better player."I think that's important, and that's beautiful. Even if I win or not, it gives you a lot of stats and feedback."On Sinner, he added: "He's the best tennis player right now. I mean, he's destroying every opponent."