Forehand fury and Rafa fire: How Carlos Alcaraz's tactical brilliance blazed a Paris epic against Jannik Sinner

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Carlos Alcaraz's resolve to emulate Rafael Nadal, on the very court that enshrines his idol's legacy, culminated in a performance that defied belief and etched his own name into tennis history. In defending his French Open crown, Alcaraz clinched his fifth career Grand Slam title at the exact same age—22 years, 1 month, and 3 days—as Nadal did in 2008.
Remarkably, both milestones came through unthinkable, come-from-behind victories on the sport's grandest stages. Nadal's triumph was his legendary win over Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final—often hailed as the greatest match ever played. Seventeen years later, Alcaraz staged a similarly breathtaking escape, outlasting his modern nemesis Jannik Sinner in a five-hour, 29-minute Roland Garros epic on Sunday.
"I think the real champions are made in situations when you deal with that pressure"—Alcaraz couldn't have found better words to summarize the night. More than his bounce-back ability, it was the sheer drama and audacity of the performance that ensures this match will be remembered for decades—worthy of comparison with Nadal's 2008 triumph or even Bjorn Borg's fabled 1980 Wimbledon battle with John McEnroe.
Serving at 5-3 in the fourth set, Sinner held three championship points at 0/40. The Italian, the in-form player over the past fortnight, unleashed a near-perfect stretch of tennis that left Alcaraz teetering. Yet, the Spaniard showed astonishing composure to escape the game.
Sinner had a second opportunity in the deciding set, right after breaking back. Serving at 6-5, Alcaraz trailed 15-30, but wriggled free once again—then followed it up with an impeccable display in the final-set tie-break.
Yet, beyond mental fortitude, it was Alcaraz's explosive forehand that truly scripted his monumental win. Heading into the final, the narrative centered around Sinner's near-flawless forehand—dominant throughout the Paris fortnight—while Alcaraz's had shown signs of vulnerability. The Italian's game plan was clear: target Alcaraz's forehand. But on the night it mattered most, it was that very shot that rescued the Spaniard.
Alcaraz hit 30 forehand winners and committed 35 unforced errors, for a difference of just -5. Sinner, by contrast, managed 16 winners but racked up 34 errors, yielding a far greater differential of -18. In fact, across the first two sets, both players were statistically similar on the forehand (Sinner 5/15, Alcaraz 6/17). But from the third set onward, Alcaraz surged—finishing with a +3 difference in forehand exchanges, compared to Sinner's -8.
Alcaraz also managed his backhand with restraint and precision, tallying 9 winners to 20 errors (-11), while Sinner posted 10 winners to 28 errors (-18).
Another decisive factor was Alcaraz's growing dominance in extended rallies (5+ shots). But his comeback hinged most critically on flipping the short rallies in his favor. While Sinner edged those exchanges early (by a point in the first two sets), Alcaraz dramatically turned the tide, winning 11 more points than the world No. 1 in shorter rallies over the next two sets.
In the final tie-break, Alcaraz—who had been playing catch-up for most of the night—delivered his finest tennis, hitting four winners, including the championship point: a screaming forehand passing shot down the line that left an exhausted Sinner rooted to the clay.