Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner: A new era in tennis rivalry after thrilling French Open final
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz produced one of the all-time great French Open finals on Sunday.
Image: Thibaud Moritz / AFP
After producing one of the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner served an explicit reminder they are the two main forces set to reign in men's tennis for years to come.
In the first French Open final in more than three decades between two players aged 23 or under, Alcaraz and Sinner delivered undoubtedly the most electrifying chapter in an increasingly captivating rivalry.
It was the first time the pair had met in a Grand Slam final and it didn't disappoint, with twists and turns, high drama and outrageous shot-making from start to finish.
"This one was the most exciting match that I've played so far, without a doubt," said Alcaraz after winning the longest final in Roland Garros history.
"Today I think the match had everything."
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The five-hour, 29-minute epic indeed had it all, as Alcaraz saved three championship points in the fourth set on his way to a fifth Grand Slam title in as many finals.
That he reached the milestone at exactly the same age as Rafael Nadal - 22 years, one month and three days - was "destiny", according to Alcaraz.
The manner in which he won was equally as striking as Nadal's fifth major at Wimbledon in 2008, when he beat Roger Federer in another of the sport's all-time great finals.
Alcaraz was reluctant to rank his win against that match but suggested Novak Djokovic's triumph over Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open was even better than Sunday's match.
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here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
"If people put our match on that table, it's a huge honour for me," said Alcaraz.
"I don't know if it is at the same level as those matches. So I let the people talk about it if for them (they) are almost the same.
"But I'm just happy to put our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slams, in the history of Roland Garros."
'Taken tennis to another level'
The spectacle in Paris lent more weight to the comparisons that had already been made between the sport's new rivalry and those shared by Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.
Sinner said it was hard to compare different generations but appreciated being a part of it all.
"I think every rivalry is different," said the Italian.
"It's good to see that we can produce also tennis like this, because I think it's good for the whole movement of tennis."
Federer and Nadal were among those to congratulate the finalists for an extraordinary performance.
"Three winners in Paris today: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the beautiful game of tennis. What a match!" Federer wrote on social media. "What a great Roland Garros final," added Nadal.
So gripping was the contest that Spain's footballers huddled around a mobile phone to watch before their Nations League final loss on penalties to Portugal.
With Federer and Nadal retired, and Djokovic now 38, this removed any remaining doubt of the dawn of a new era and answered the question as to who will fill the void left by the 'Big Three'.
"I cannot believe how lucky we are that we are going to have this rivalry as they have taken our sport to another level," seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander told TNT Sports.
"I never thought I would say that after the big three with Rafa, Roger and Novak but it is actually faster than ever, it is at a level (where) it is hard to believe they can do this."
Alcaraz and Sinner first faced off in the second round of the Paris Masters in 2021. Alcaraz has won eight of 12 meetings -- including the last five -- but both players have already contributed so much with the prime of their careers seemingly still ahead.
"Federer and Nadal played a couple of good finals, but nothing comes close to this," said Wilander, who won the previous longest Roland Garros final in 1982.
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Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Tennis elevated as Alcaraz and Sinner's epic showdown marks end of Big Three era
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz's 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) French Open final defeat of Italian Jannik Sinner elevated the sport to a new level. As former tennis great Andre Agassi looked on at the drama unfolding before his eyes on Court Philippe Chatrier, his expression said everything. The shaking of his domed head, the incredulous laugh as another forehand winner from an impossible angle fizzed through the Parisian air, told the story. Here was one of the greats of the sport, reduced to a mortal like the rest of us. Even Agassi couldn't fathom the quality, the brilliance and the sheer audacity being produced by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. It was tennis from an ethereal plane, between two men touched by the gods of talent, but forged in the very real cloak of sweat and pain on courts in Europe. If you watched the men's French Open final at Roland-Garros, then you witnessed the final passing of the baton from the Big Three era into the age of the… well… they don't have a moniker yet. For so long men's tennis was the domain of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The first two have retired while Djokovic still rages against the dying of the light. The great Serb made it to the semis at Roland-Garros, discharging 2024 runner-up Sasha Zverev in four sets, playing tennis of such a gripping level that the prospect of singles Grand Slam title No 25 seemed possible. Until he ran into Sinner in the semi-final and was drilled in three straight sets. It wasn't just the score, it was the Italian's ability to reduce Djokovic to a mere also-ran that made it so impressive. End of an era Djokovic's pause as he exited Chatrier after losing to Sinner was perhaps telling. It was almost as if he knew, despite his indomitable warrior spirit, that his time had now gone. He had been mowed down by a player 15 years his junior, still on the way up, with three Grand Slams in the bag. And Sinner is only half of the new obstacle Djokovic and every other player on tour will face. 'I felt constantly under pressure, and he didn't allow me to kind of like have time to swing through the ball,' Djokovic said after the semi-final. 'He was just constantly on the line, trying to make me defend. 'That's what these kind of guys, like Sinner and Alcaraz particularly, present on the court. They put pressure, so they're constantly on you and, you know, basically increase the pressure as the match progresses. 'So, when the opportunities are presented, they're very rare, so, you know, makes you a little more anxious, I guess, and you want to go for the shot or something. That's what happened. I missed.' It was as close to an admission of defeat as Djokovic could muster as he saw the future of tennis. And it didn't include him. Yet, for the era of Big Three to officially end, Alcaraz and Sinner needed to meet in a Grand Slam final. Despite winning the previous six Grand Slams between them going into Sunday's final, they had never met in the showpiece match at a major. That box was ticked on Friday as both swept imperiously into the final, and then they produced a match of such magnificent quality and drama that they elevated the sport another notch. At times during the Big Three's era, it seemed tennis couldn't get any better. The matches those three played against each other, on the biggest stages, were generally played at such a high standard it was like another sport. Well, Sinner and Alcaraz said 'we see your brilliance and raise it' with their performances in Paris. While it will take years for either 22-year-old Alcaraz or the 23-year-old Sinner to win 20 or more Grand Slams as each of the Big Three did, if the evidence of the Paris clash is anything to go by, it's going to be a wonderful journey towards that target. Epic match What made the men's final a contest for the ages was that both players played magnificently at the same time. While Sinner didn't drop a set on his way to the final, Alcaraz's path was less impressive in some ways. He lost several sets, more down to his moments of drifting focus than his ability. But in Sunday's final, even as he lost the first two sets to the terminator-like Sinner, whose play is so spectacularly crafted through repetition, Alcaraz was in the fight — mentally and physically. His focus never dropped. Most often when a match stretches as long as this one — five hours 29 minutes — the level of one, or both, players dips at some stage. You can honestly say that the standard of the 2025 French Open final, from both players, at all times, never dropped below brilliant for longer than a few points — if at all. What elevated this contest's greatness was that two exceptional athletes simultaneously produced shots of such staggering beauty, power and precision, that almost every point, let alone game, was an event. It was fitting that Alcaraz hit a rasping forehand down the line, threading the smallest of openings past a closing Sinner at the net, to claim the title. This match could only be decided by a point of such breathtaking audacity and aesthetic beauty. It was also a match played in such fine spirit. Each player accepted line calls almost instantly, especially if the other called it out. It was trust and acknowledgement of the other's integrity. There were no 'toilet breaks' or calling of the physio to court to break the other's rhythm, which has become so commonplace in the sport. Just utmost respect for each other, the game and the occasion, that it ensured a moment of sporting theatre to be eternally admired. The details of the match are there to pick over for years. Alcaraz saved three match points on his serve in the fourth set, he hit 17 more winners than Alcaraz but made nine more unforced errors, while overall, over five sets, Sinners won one more point (193-192). That's the beauty of tennis' scoring system. Total points are not the measure of victory. Winning the ones that count at the right moment matters more. There are no substitutions and halftime, no time outs and no coaching between games. It's up to the players to tap into their skill, training and instincts to come up with real-time solutions over five hours as they fatigue and battle inner demons and doubts. They both did. Someone had to give, even though we wished the contest would go on. In the end Alcaraz won, and Sinner lost — that's the stark reality — but tennis and the old-fashioned notion of sportsmanship shone.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner: A new era in tennis rivalry after thrilling French Open final
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz produced one of the all-time great French Open finals on Sunday. Image: Thibaud Moritz / AFP After producing one of the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner served an explicit reminder they are the two main forces set to reign in men's tennis for years to come. In the first French Open final in more than three decades between two players aged 23 or under, Alcaraz and Sinner delivered undoubtedly the most electrifying chapter in an increasingly captivating rivalry. It was the first time the pair had met in a Grand Slam final and it didn't disappoint, with twists and turns, high drama and outrageous shot-making from start to finish. "This one was the most exciting match that I've played so far, without a doubt," said Alcaraz after winning the longest final in Roland Garros history. "Today I think the match had everything." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The five-hour, 29-minute epic indeed had it all, as Alcaraz saved three championship points in the fourth set on his way to a fifth Grand Slam title in as many finals. That he reached the milestone at exactly the same age as Rafael Nadal - 22 years, one month and three days - was "destiny", according to Alcaraz. The manner in which he won was equally as striking as Nadal's fifth major at Wimbledon in 2008, when he beat Roger Federer in another of the sport's all-time great finals. Alcaraz was reluctant to rank his win against that match but suggested Novak Djokovic's triumph over Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open was even better than Sunday's match. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. "If people put our match on that table, it's a huge honour for me," said Alcaraz. "I don't know if it is at the same level as those matches. So I let the people talk about it if for them (they) are almost the same. "But I'm just happy to put our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slams, in the history of Roland Garros." 'Taken tennis to another level' The spectacle in Paris lent more weight to the comparisons that had already been made between the sport's new rivalry and those shared by Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. Sinner said it was hard to compare different generations but appreciated being a part of it all. "I think every rivalry is different," said the Italian. "It's good to see that we can produce also tennis like this, because I think it's good for the whole movement of tennis." Federer and Nadal were among those to congratulate the finalists for an extraordinary performance. "Three winners in Paris today: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the beautiful game of tennis. What a match!" Federer wrote on social media. "What a great Roland Garros final," added Nadal. So gripping was the contest that Spain's footballers huddled around a mobile phone to watch before their Nations League final loss on penalties to Portugal. With Federer and Nadal retired, and Djokovic now 38, this removed any remaining doubt of the dawn of a new era and answered the question as to who will fill the void left by the 'Big Three'. "I cannot believe how lucky we are that we are going to have this rivalry as they have taken our sport to another level," seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander told TNT Sports. "I never thought I would say that after the big three with Rafa, Roger and Novak but it is actually faster than ever, it is at a level (where) it is hard to believe they can do this." Alcaraz and Sinner first faced off in the second round of the Paris Masters in 2021. Alcaraz has won eight of 12 meetings -- including the last five -- but both players have already contributed so much with the prime of their careers seemingly still ahead. "Federer and Nadal played a couple of good finals, but nothing comes close to this," said Wilander, who won the previous longest Roland Garros final in 1982.
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
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