Jannik Sinner ends silence on why he couldn't win match point in 4th set in French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Jannik Sinner said he will try to 'delete' the memory of Sunday's epic French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, after missing three championship points in a match that may go down as one of the greatest in Roland Garros history.
The 22-year-old Italian looked on the verge of claiming his first French Open crown and third consecutive Grand Slam title when he led by two sets to love and held triple match point with Alcaraz serving at 0-40 and trailing 3-5 in the fourth set. But Sinner was unable to convert any of the three chances as Alcaraz dug deep, held serve, and then forced a tie-break to level the match. He went on to claim a stunning 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) victory in a marathon that became the longest final in the tournament's history.
'Obviously this one hurts. There's not so much to talk about right now,' a subdued Sinner told reporters afterwards. 'It was a very, very high-level match. It was long. And yeah, it happens. You know, we saw it in the past with other players. Today it happened to me.'
Sinner, who won the US Open in 2023 and defended his Australian Open title earlier this year, was aiming to win his third consecutive major. But on this occasion, he found himself on the other side of the comeback narrative. His maiden Grand Slam win in Melbourne famously saw him recover from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev, but in Paris, it was he who failed to close out a two-set lead.
'I tried to delete everything, every set. In Grand Slams you try to start from zero again,' he said of his mindset after failing to serve out the match. 'I was, of course, disappointed about the fourth set and match points and serving for the match. But again, I stayed there mentally. I didn't give him any free points.'
Despite the heartbreak, Sinner was determined to take positives from the experience and praised the atmosphere and the quality of tennis on display. 'It was good to see that we can produce tennis like this. It's good for the sport and the fans,' he said. 'To be part of it is very special. Of course, I'd be even happier with the big trophy, but you can't change it now.'
The world No. 1 also credited his down-to-earth support system for helping him through difficult moments like this. 'My family, the people who know me, they are helping me now. My dad wasn't even here—he was working today. Nothing changes in our family because of success. We are simple people.'
Sinner now turns his attention to Wimbledon, which begins later this month. While he admitted that this loss will take time to get over, he knows he cannot dwell on it.
'Yes, it hurts. But you cannot keep crying. It happens,' he concluded.