Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now take their terrific rivalry from the French Open to Wimbledon
The takeaways from Carlos Alcaraz's fifth-set tiebreaker victory over Jannik Sinner in the riveting and record-breaking French Open men's final were multiple and significant.
Let's start with this: Anyone worried about how men's tennis would survive in the post-Big Three era can rest easy. Alcaraz and Sinner produced 5 1/2 hours of evidence Sunday that the game is in good hands — and that their rivalry will be, and perhaps already is, a transcendent one.
Take it from no less an authority than Roger Federer. The retired owner of 20 Grand Slam titles, and rival of Rafael Nadal (22 majors) and Novak Djokovic (24), began a post on social media by declaring, '3 winners in Paris today,' then listed Alcaraz, Sinner and 'the beautiful fame of tennis. What a match!'
No. 1 Sinner and No. 2 Alcaraz could renew their rivalry at Wimbledon
This was the 12th Alcaraz-Sinner meeting, the first in a major final.
'Hopefully not the last time,' Alcaraz said. 'Every time that we face ... each other, we raise our level to the top.'
It would be shocking if there weren't many more of these to come — perhaps as soon as at Wimbledon, where play begins on June 30 and No. 2-ranked Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion.
His comeback against No. 1 Sinner from two sets down, then three championship points down, to win 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) was unprecedented at Roland-Garros. It was unforgettable. Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, described his guy's best trait this way: 'His strength is (to) keep believing all the time, until the last ball is gone.'
Carlos Alcaraz has five Grand Slam titles at age 22
Alcaraz's five Grand Slam titles at 22 — that's the age at which Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras also got to five; no one's done it younger — show how special he is. So does the Spaniard's 5-0 record in major finals, a career start surpassed among men only by Federer's 7-0.
Sinner is pretty good, too. Tuesday marks a full year that he has been ranked No. 1. He has reached the finals of his last eight tournaments, a run last accomplished by Djokovic a decade ago. He has won three majors. He has won 47 of his last 50 matches.
Notably, all three of those losses came against — yes, you guessed it — Alcaraz. That hearkens back to the days when Federer would beat everyone other than Nadal.
Sinner had claimed 31 Slam sets in a row right up until the moment he was up 2-0 against Alcaraz.
What was unmistakable to anyone watching in-person at Court Philippe-Chatrier or following along from afar on TV is that Alcaraz vs. Sinner is a must-see.
'The level,' Alcaraz said, 'was insane.'
Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last 6 Grand Slam titles
Sinner's take?
'I'm happy to be part of this,' the 23-year-old Italian said. 'Would be even more happy if I would have ... the big trophy.'
As with any great rivalry — think Evert vs. Navratilova or Borg vs. McEnroe or Federer vs. Nadal, no first names needed — Alcaraz vs. Sinner provides a clash of excellence and a study in contrasts.
Alcaraz displays emotion, pumping his fists, pointing to an ear to ask for more noise, yelling 'Vamos!' Sinner is rather contained. Sinner's long limbs get him to nearly every ball. Alcaraz's motor reaches speeds no one can equal. Sinner's ball-striking is pure. Alcaraz's drop shots are legendary. Both hammer groundstrokes that leave opponents exasperated and spectators gasping.
Both can improve. Sinner has never won a match that lasted four hours. Alcaraz loses focus on occasion.
Both are eager to improve. When Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban last month, he introduced a new, angled return stance. Alcaraz tweaked his serve and backhand technique.
Who knows what heights each can reach? They split the past six Slam trophies, and eight of the past 11.
Roger Federer predicted big champions would come along again
Federer saw this coming.
During an interview with The Associated Press in December 2019, Federer predicted someone would win major after major the way he, Nadal and Djokovic did. Just didn't know there would be a Big Two doing it.
'It's going to happen, inevitably,' Federer said. 'And it's almost not going to be that hard, maybe ... because the players will have seen what we did. And they didn't see just one guy doing it, once every 30 years. They saw like three guys doing it, in the shortest period of time. ... Players are going to believe more.'
___
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris contributed to this report.
___
Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Female tennis players granted WTA ranking protection during fertility procedures
The WTA will now protect the rankings of female tennis pros who take time away from competition to undergo fertility protection procedures, the tour announced Wednesday. The player-led measure will allow female tennis players to use a special entry ranking (SER) for up to three tournaments if they choose to undergo a "fertility protection procedure such as egg or embryo freezing." "By introducing this new form of ranking protection, the WTA helps to support and empower women athletes to balance a professional sports career with planning and starting a family at a time of their choice," the tour said in a news release Wednesday. The new measure adds to the WTA's Family Focus Program, which already includes ranking protection during pregnancies or other means of parenthood and postpartum support. It also follows the WTA's announcement in March that tennis players on tour can receive 12 months of paid maternity leave. "I'm incredibly proud of our sport in recognizing the importance of fertility treatments for female athletes," 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens said in a statement provided by the tour. "For any woman, the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex. The WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore options and to make the best decisions for themselves. It's truly groundbreaking and will empower this generation, and future generations of players, to continue with the sport they love without having to compromise." Speaking to the BBC, Stephens explained her own experiences and the challenges she faced under the previous rules. "The first time I did it, I rushed back, and I was overweight and not happy and just very stressed out," she told the outlet. "The second time I did it, I took a totally different approach so I could just be in better shape. I could have the surgery. I could have more time to recover. "Having the protected ranking there, so that players don't feel forced to come back early and risk their health again, is the best thing possible." The SER will be based on the 12-week average of the player's WTA ranking from eight weeks prior to the start of their out-of-competition period. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fever-Sky still hit CBS milestone despite Caitlin Clark's absence
The post Fever-Sky still hit CBS milestone despite Caitlin Clark's absence appeared first on ClutchPoints. Even with Caitlin Clark out with a quad injury, the game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever at the United Center in Chicago last Saturday had solid ratings for the WNBA on CBS. Advertisement The game officially recorded 1.92 million viewers, the third most-watched WNBA game this year, per Colin Salao of Front Office Sports. The game is behind the Fever vs. Sky season opener (2.7 million, ABC) and Fever vs. Liberty (2.2 million, CBS). Furthermore, the game also reached a peak of 2.16 million viewers. This one game saw a 75% increase in ratings for CBS from the 2024 WNBA season. The Fever dominated the Sky with a 79-52 win in the first-ever WNBA game played at the United Center. It also saw Sky veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot suffering an ACL injury, rendering her out for the rest of the season. Even with Clark out, the game proved that the WNBA can still draw people in. The final attendance for the game was 19,496. While the league continues to grow, there is little doubt that a matchup between the Fever and Sky is galvanizing. The Fever and Sky are the WNBA's big draw Since Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were drafted in 2024, heightened attention has been paid to the Fever and Sky. Thus, every game between is more than likely to draw a crowd both in person and on television. Advertisement Both teams have seen increased attention and sellout crowds. Inevitably, there is an ongoing attempt to manufacture a rivalry between Clark and Reese. As such, there is a growing pantheon of experts and would-be experts weighing in and, sometimes, making physicality in basketball into alleged confirmation of a perceived personal vendetta between the two. Nevertheless, there is no question that the Fever and Sky are compelling teams to watch, especially when they play against one another. That dynamic is not to die down any time soon. Related: WNBA news: Coco Gauff supports Sky-Liberty fresh off French Open win Related: 2-time Olympian Jordan Chiles shows up courtside for Valkyries-Sparks OT thriller
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
WNBA news: Coco Gauff supports Sky-Liberty fresh off French Open win
The post WNBA news: Coco Gauff supports Sky-Liberty fresh off French Open win appeared first on ClutchPoints. Coco Gauff is on top of the world. The tennis phenom is fresh off her historic win at the French Open, becoming the first American to win since Serena Williams in 2015. Advertisement She has made numerous public appearances since while still soaking in her victory. On Tuesday, Gauff sat courtside to watch the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky. '2x Grand Slam champion- Coco Gauff is courstdie in New York @newbalance' the WNBA posted on their X page. Her greatness on the tennis court extends to the basketball court as well. Gauff is one of the investors in the Unrivaled League, the 3-on-3 professional league that debuted earlier this year. Among the other investors include Steph Curry, Carmelo Anthony, JuJu Watkins, Alex Morgan, and Dawn Staley. Gauff is in the process of preparing for Wimbledon as well as looking to win her second grand slam title this year. Advertisement All the while, Gauff's become an icon in this era of popularity for women's sports. In many ways, she is on the same trajectory as the WNBA. Coco Gauff and the WNBA are in this together. While individual and team sports have different dynamics, Gauff and the WNBA share a mutual connection. In other words, their growth in stature is not mutually exclusive. Both are experiencing a tremendous increase in popularity and recognition. The media coverage they generate speaks volumes as Gauff and players in the W are sought after for interviews, endorsement deals, and other aspects of visibility. Gauff herself has expressed admiration for A'ja Wilson. They also share a common bond in speaking out on political and social issues. Advertisement In her spare time, Gauff has used her platform to call out racism and has openly supported the LGBTQ+ community. She also spoke at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. Social justice is very much embedded within the fabric of the WNBA when it comes to race, gender, and sexuality. In more ways than one, Gauff and the WNBA are much alike. Related: Vanessa Bryant, family spend time courtside at Sky-Liberty matchup Related: Fever-Sky still hit CBS milestone despite Caitlin Clark's absence