Jannik Sinner's coach in awe of ‘clever' Carlos Alcaraz, points out ‘smart' crowd support strategy
Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner's recent French Open 2025 men's singles final showdown was probably one of the most entertaining matches in recent times. The Spaniard lost the opening two sets, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), with Sinner coming out on top in the tiebreaker. French Open; Jannik Sinner of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain pose together at the trophy presentation.(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Alcaraz looked completely outplayed against Sinner, who was utterly dominant in the first two sets. But the Spaniard had other plans and a different strategy. He began to rally the crowd in Paris, using their support to his advantage, as many spectators also began to disturb the Italian.
Alcaraz bounced back in the third set, and then won the next two sets, to clinch a thrilling 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2), in what was also the longest French Open final in history and the second-longest major final, behind only the 2012 Australian Open men's singles final.
Sinner's coach Simone Vagnozzi delivered his verdict on Alcaraz's 'smart' plan, ahead of Wimbledon 2025. Speaking to the Daily Express, he said, 'Alcaraz was also a bit smart to get the crowd on his side. He was down two sets to zero and needed energy. He was good at managing it this way.'
'I think the crowd was key to boosting Alcaraz, but not to penalize Jannik. The truth is that Carlos was very clever in seeking people's support and managed it well, but we cannot use that as a key factor for the outcome.
'There are times when playing with people against you can also be good, as extra motivation, and we must not forget that in Rome, Sinner was the one who had most of the support,' he added.
Sinner will open his Wimbledon 2025 campaign against fellow countryman Luca Nardi in the first round. Meanwhile, Alcaraz will face volatile Fabio Fognini in his opening round clash.
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