Latest news with #AlcarazSinner
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
TNT Draws Record-Breaking Numbers for Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz French Open Wins
TOPSHOT - US Coco Gauff kisses the trophy after winning her women's singles final match against ... More Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka on day 14 of The French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 7, 2025. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP) (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images) TNT hit it out of the park in its inaugural year covering the French Open. Buoyed by spectacular victories this past weekend by Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz, TNT Sports announced record-breaking audience and engagement numbers across TNT, truTV, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. Saturday's come-from-behind victory for World No. 2 Coco Gauff over No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered 1.5 million average viewers across TNT and truTV, up 94% vs. 2024, and was the most watched Roland Garros women's singles final since 2016. TNT Sports' coverage of the match drove massive increases across key demos, including up 105% among P25-54 vs. 2024. Sunday's men's singles final between No. 2 Alcaraz and No. 1 Jannik Sinner — at five hours and 29 minutes, the longest Final in Roland-Garros history — peaked at 2.6 million viewers at 2:30 p.m. ET and averaged 1.8 million average viewers across TNT and truTV for the entire telecast, up 8% vs. 2024. It was the most watched Roland Garros men's singles final since 2021. The Alcaraz/Sinner match also drove a 16% increase among P25-54 viewers vs. 2024. '3 winners in Paris today. Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and the beautiful game of tennis," Roger Federer Tweeted Sunday. Overall viewership for TNT's Roland Garros coverage throughout the two-week event was up 25% vs. last year. The network's 'Dream Team' of announcers included John and Patrick McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Lindsay Davenport, Mary Joe Fernandez, Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams, among others. TNT said there were more than 800+ million video views across its collective social platforms and delivered the most socially viewed tennis tournament by a media partner ever.
Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Carlos Alcaraz has speed of Novak Djokovic and feel of Roger Federer
'Recency bias' was the cautious buzz term around Roland Garros on Sunday night as players, coaches and pundits debated the significance of what they had just witnessed for 5½ hours. Was this thrilling five-set battle between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner the best grand-slam final in history? Is Alcaraz already better than the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer? It's all subjective, of course, but there was universal agreement that this was a match that will stand the test of time and rank right up there with the finest ever to be played. The exact order varies but we can already add Alcaraz v Sinner at the 2025 French Open to a list that also contains Björn Borg v John McEnroe at Wimbledon 1980, Nadal v Federer at Wimbledon 2008 and Djokovic v Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open. 'If people put our match in that table, it's a huge honour for me,' Alcaraz said late on Sunday as he basked in the glory of his astonishing comeback from three championship points down. The more meaningful and punchy debate was on the status of Alcaraz in tennis as it stands. The bar to be a legend in this sport has been raised considerably by the respective efforts of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer in racking up grand-slam counts in the twenties, and it will take some time for Alcaraz to catch up. But he is most certainly on track in the early stages of his career, with five major trophies in his cabinet at the age of 22 and three days on Sunday, which, remarkably, was the exact same age at which Nadal claimed his fifth. 'Honestly the coincidence of winning my fifth grand slam in the same age as Rafa Nadal, I'm going to say that's the destiny, I guess,' Alcaraz said. 'It is a stat that I'm going to keep with me for ever, winning the fifth grand slam at the same time as Rafa, my idol, my inspiration. It's a huge honour, honestly. Hopefully it's not going to stop like this.' Some went a little too far on Sunday and perhaps fell victim to the aforementioned recency bias. Within minutes of the match coming to a conclusion, John McEnroe bowed to hyperbole — not for the first time — and suggested that Alcaraz and Sinner would both be considered the favourites in a hypothetical match against Rafael Nadal at his best. This is the 14-times French Open champion whose many victories in a Roland Garros final included a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of Federer in 2008. 'You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal at his best,' McEnroe, speaking on TNT Sports, said 'Do I think they're going to reach 20, 24 [titles]? No, because that plateau is so hard. But these two guys right now, it's like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I've ever seen.' The last point raises something that should always be considered when comparisons are made between different eras. It was challenging, for example, to determine who would win between a peak Federer and Rod Laver, with his wooden racket, because of the evolving nature of sport. Advancements in racket technology and nutritional understanding came too late for the likes of Laver and Borg, and there is even a feeling now that the ball is generally being hit harder by better athletes compared with 20 years ago because of the sport's progression. 'Every rivalry is different,' Sinner said. 'Back in the days, they played a little bit different tennis. Now, the ball is going fast. It's very physical. It's slightly different from my point of view, but you cannot compare. I was lucky enough to play against Novak, against Rafa. Beating these guys, it takes a lot. I have the same feeling with Carlos and some other players.' It is clear, though, that Alcaraz is better developed at a younger age across all surfaces compared with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. He has already won grand slams on hard, clay and grass with an all-round game in which he is as comfortable rallying from the baseline as he is charging towards the net. His footwork on all surfaces is remarkable. Again, this does not necessarily mean he is already definitively better than the others as it would take some going to beat a peak Federer on Wimbledon's Centre Court or outlast a peak Djokovic for hours on Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. But the way in which he raised his level when it mattered most to produce some explosive shot-making at the end of the fifth set shows the belief he has in his abundance of skills. 'I think he is born to play these kind of moments,' Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz's coach, said. 'Every time that we were in these situations, even when he was younger in the Challengers, when he had the big opportunities for him at that age he always went for it. 'In this kind of situation of course it's so much more important than maybe other tournaments. But his style of game again I think has to be the same. It's something we try to prepare his mind for these kind of situations, like the tie-break at the fifth set. He went for it since the first point. Very brave all the time and very aggressive trying to win the point all the time.' Curiously, Alcaraz has not quite cracked the Australian Open, going no further than the quarter-finals in 2024 and 2025, but it is inevitable that he will complete the career grand slam there at some point in the future when he figures out the best way of peaking in time for this tournament just weeks into the season. Only Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Laver and Andre Agassi have won all four majors in the Open era. For now, it is onto Wimbledon this month for a bid at grand slam No6 and a third consecutive All England Club title. Worryingly for the rest of the field, he has quickly become as comfortable on a grass court as he is on a clay court, channelling the greats of the past. 'Alcaraz's best surface to me, shockingly, would be between here [Roland Garros] and Wimbledon,' Agassi said. 'I'd actually say grass might be his best surface, and the reason why I'd say grass is his best surface has nothing to do with his swings. 'It has to do with the less diminishing speed that happens to him compared with other players, and his strength of legs, his balance of getting under the ball. You have got to remember this guy has defence and speed like Novak, if not more. He has feel like Federer, you could argue at times if not more. And he has RPMs in pace like Rafa, you could argue maybe even more.'
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
'Tennis the winner' as Alcaraz and Sinner set for enduring rivalry
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." 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. "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." 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.
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's epic French Open final proved the future of men's tennis is in good hands
For five hours and 29 minutes on Sunday, tennis fans around the world were treated to one of the most absurd spectacles the sport has ever seen. In the longest French Open final – and the second longest grand slam final – in history, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner showed once again that tennis' future is in safe hands. With Novak Djokovic in the twilight of his career and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal already hanging up their rackets, it would be entirely natural for fans to worry about the considerable void the three greatest players of all time will leave behind them. But as Alcaraz and Sinner crushed groundstrokes at each other on the iconic red clay of Roland Garros, displayed pinpoint precision with deft drop shots and volleys, and chased down each shot with a fierce determination, nobody was thinking about the Big Three and whether their sizeable shoes still needed filling. Instead, it was one of those special sporting moments in which everyone watching knew they were witnessing history. That Alcaraz ended up the victor – improbably coming back from two sets down for the first time and saving three championship points to eventually win 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) – was largely immaterial to the final spectacle; Sinner winning that final-set championship tiebreak wouldn't have made the match any less remarkable. Even before Sunday's epic final, John McEnroe was so impressed with what he had seen from the pair in Paris that he made the case, though admitted it sounded 'semi crazy to say,' that either Alcaraz or Sinner would beat the Big Three at their peak. 'You took a look at them bringing their A-game right now – I'm saying Sinner and Alcaraz against Rafael Nadal on clay, you know, he won this 14 times – you would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favored to beat Nadal, at his best,' he told TNT Sports. 'Now, do I think they're going to reach, 20, 24 titles either one of them? No. Because I think that plateau is so hard it's almost impossible – there's more depth in the game, bigger hitters, and more things happen. 'But these two guys right now, it's like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I've ever seen.' Boris Becker, another former world No. 1, said the current level of tennis shown by Alcaraz and Sinner is 'exactly the level' the Big Three played at. There is no doubt that an intense rivalry can elevate and even transcend a sport, and tennis has been blessed with no shortage of great rivalries over the past two decades. The drama and pageantry of the 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer and the 2012 Australian Open final between Nadal and Djokovic elevated them both beyond the status of a mere tennis final. They are now singular events that beg the question: 'Where were you when…?' We could now be seeing the blossoming of tennis' next great rivalry, with the head-to-head between Alcaraz and Sinner now at an intriguing crossroads. Alcaraz leads 8-4 but, crucially, has now won five matches in a row against Sinner and currently appears to have the world No. 1's number. The Italian is 111-10 since the 2023 Beijing Open, but half of the losses are to the man from Murcia, including all of Sinner's three losses in his last 50 matches. But a large part of the fascination in watching two rivals battle it out for the duration of their careers comes from the twists and turns, as both parties figure out weaknesses and try to gain the upper hand. For example, between March 2013 and January 2014, Nadal beat Federer five times in a row, before the Swiss turned the tide to win the next six matches between the two giants from November 2015 to March 2019. The future of tennis' newest rivalry will be the subject of much debate between now and the start of Wimbledon at the end of the month, but it seems a fairly safe bet that Alcaraz and Sinner – who have now won the last six grand slams between them – will be battling it out at the top for a long time to come. Alcaraz found it hard to explain what it was like playing in a match of that standard, describing it as 'amazing.' 'To put it into words is really difficult,' he told Eurosport's Lesly Boitrelle and Àlex Corretja. 'Being two sets to love down against the No. 1 in the world, the level Jannik was playing at was unbelievable. 'It's my first time coming back from two sets to love down. Honestly, I just poured my heart into it, I just tried to keep going, not think about the result and just play my best tennis in the third and fourth, and then the fifth. 'The fifth set was just not giving up, it was just fighting and thinking point after point, and at the end of the fifth I was just playing with heart. Honestly, I don't know what I did to win this match. I'm really, really happy and proud with how I dealt with everything today.'
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's epic French Open final proved the future of men's tennis is in good hands
For five hours and 29 minutes on Sunday, tennis fans around the world were treated to one of the most absurd spectacles the sport has ever seen. In the longest French Open final – and the second longest grand slam final – in history, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner showed once again that tennis' future is in safe hands. With Novak Djokovic in the twilight of his career and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal already hanging up their rackets, it would be entirely natural for fans to worry about the considerable void the three greatest players of all time will leave behind them. But as Alcaraz and Sinner crushed groundstrokes at each other on the iconic red clay of Roland Garros, displayed pinpoint precision with deft drop shots and volleys, and chased down each shot with a fierce determination, nobody was thinking about the Big Three and whether their sizeable shoes still needed filling. Instead, it was one of those special sporting moments in which everyone watching knew they were witnessing history. That Alcaraz ended up the victor – improbably coming back from two sets down for the first time and saving three championship points to eventually win 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) – was largely immaterial to the final spectacle; Sinner winning that final-set championship tiebreak wouldn't have made the match any less remarkable. Even before Sunday's epic final, John McEnroe was so impressed with what he had seen from the pair in Paris that he made the case, though admitted it sounded 'semi crazy to say,' that either Alcaraz or Sinner would beat the Big Three at their peak. 'You took a look at them bringing their A-game right now – I'm saying Sinner and Alcaraz against Rafael Nadal on clay, you know, he won this 14 times – you would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favored to beat Nadal, at his best,' he told TNT Sports. 'Now, do I think they're going to reach, 20, 24 titles either one of them? No. Because I think that plateau is so hard it's almost impossible – there's more depth in the game, bigger hitters, and more things happen. 'But these two guys right now, it's like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I've ever seen.' Boris Becker, another former world No. 1, said the current level of tennis shown by Alcaraz and Sinner is 'exactly the level' the Big Three played at. There is no doubt that an intense rivalry can elevate and even transcend a sport, and tennis has been blessed with no shortage of great rivalries over the past two decades. The drama and pageantry of the 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer and the 2012 Australian Open final between Nadal and Djokovic elevated them both beyond the status of a mere tennis final. They are now singular events that beg the question: 'Where were you when…?' We could now be seeing the blossoming of tennis' next great rivalry, with the head-to-head between Alcaraz and Sinner now at an intriguing crossroads. Alcaraz leads 8-4 but, crucially, has now won five matches in a row against Sinner and currently appears to have the world No. 1's number. The Italian is 111-10 since the 2023 Beijing Open, but half of the losses are to the man from Murcia, including all of Sinner's three losses in his last 50 matches. But a large part of the fascination in watching two rivals battle it out for the duration of their careers comes from the twists and turns, as both parties figure out weaknesses and try to gain the upper hand. For example, between March 2013 and January 2014, Nadal beat Federer five times in a row, before the Swiss turned the tide to win the next six matches between the two giants from November 2015 to March 2019. The future of tennis' newest rivalry will be the subject of much debate between now and the start of Wimbledon at the end of the month, but it seems a fairly safe bet that Alcaraz and Sinner – who have now won the last six grand slams between them – will be battling it out at the top for a long time to come. Alcaraz found it hard to explain what it was like playing in a match of that standard, describing it as 'amazing.' 'To put it into words is really difficult,' he told Eurosport's Lesly Boitrelle and Àlex Corretja. 'Being two sets to love down against the No. 1 in the world, the level Jannik was playing at was unbelievable. 'It's my first time coming back from two sets to love down. Honestly, I just poured my heart into it, I just tried to keep going, not think about the result and just play my best tennis in the third and fourth, and then the fifth. 'The fifth set was just not giving up, it was just fighting and thinking point after point, and at the end of the fifth I was just playing with heart. Honestly, I don't know what I did to win this match. I'm really, really happy and proud with how I dealt with everything today.'
