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Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
The story of Roland Garros' terre battue
One of the many factors that made the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Roland Garros final remarkable was its duration: 5h29m. Before Sunday, the longest French Open final was 4h24min, Mats Wilander v Guillermo Vilas, an hour and five minutes shorter. Rafa's longest final lasted 3h49m vs Novak Djokovic in 2012, his longest match at the venue 4h 53m, vs Paul Henri Mathieu, fourth round 2006. What Sinner and Alcaraz did was give to their audience over an unusually lengthy period of time an exhibition of cut-glass shot-making and creativity on a surface that demands precision quality at every exchange. Clay is the most bruising of tennis surfaces because it blunts power, reduces the serve to an opening salvo and offers at least a semblance of a level playing field to the hard-running counter-puncher. Every stroke, every rally, every game is a ceaseless inquisition. Over footspeed and aglity, awareness of court geometry, control of stroke play over shoulder and at ankle, and endurance of muscle, heart and lung. The fine powder of Roland Garros' brilliant orange, the 'terre battue', its crushed earth ends up everywhere. On the players' clothes, caking their bodies following tumbles and slides and lunges during play. It is rumoured that some of this magic powder dust may even have found its way into bloodstream. In the RG merchandise store, not only does the colour dominate every product, 'authentic' powdered clay has also been packed into keychains (15 & 25 euros) and there's a 15 euro 'snow globe' which upon shaking produces a 'clay storm' confetti over the Chatrier court. There's more that lies beneath the clay, says David Rebuffet assistant court maintenance manager in the French Tennis Federations' (FFT) operations department. He explains the transverse layers that make up Roland Garros' five-layer 80cm thick block of the courts : 'there are big stones at the bottom, then gravel, bottom ash (from coal residue) and lime stone.' And with glee, this, 'The red clay you see on top? that's just a 2 millimeter layer of crushed brick.' Two mm has no context until says it is the thickness of a standard matchstick. That's all the layer of the clay/ mud/ crushed brick at the top of Roland Garros. This is an incongruous omnipresence. But the 2mm crushed brick is not a show-stopper made of tissue paper. It is in fact the polish without which there would be no shine. At Roland Garros, the width of the match stick makes for a surface which has some 'give' for tennis' unique sideways movement, which can explore and maximise the geometry of the court. Without it no slide, no mark, no kick, no exaggerated spin, no fadeaway drop shot. Every morning at the Roland Garros, the thin layer of crushed brick is swept to clear what has been churned up 'from the day before.' The ground staff then use a large version of the squeegee, (aka think very large versions of the bathroom wiper) 'brush the court and get rid of small piles of play.' The purpose is to get rid of any possible bad bounces during play. Then a new layer of the 2mm clay/ crushed brick is spread over the court, with its final process being the watering of the court. Watering, says Rebuffet, is vital at the two ends of the day 'it helps keep the court nice and humid which is good for a proper playing surface.' In Christopher Clarey's recently-released layered and detailed 'The Warrior: Rafa Nadal and his Kingdom of Clay', there is a chapter called The Canvas. It delves deep into clay courts around the world and then zooms in on Roland Garros. The chapter closes with an astonishing story of the brickworks that make the Roland Garros clay. Defective bricks - 'chipped or cracked …not suitable for construction' arrive from a brickworks in a region near Lille and the border of Belgium to a factory in a town called Pontpoint. Two men operate a sixty-year-old grinding machine which crushes the bad bricks into powder with particles down to one-tenth of a mm in diameter. This clay which is found at Roland Garros is also sent to other tennis clubs in France and as The Warrior tells us exported to other countries too. There's really no telling how far dust can travel. Unlike Wimbledon, Roland Garros is not a private club. It is the HQ of the French Tennis Federation and their training centre. Rebuffet says there are 'events and competitions' on the courts during the summer and autumn, 'as well as training sessions for professional players and young athletes from the French training center.' The outer courts are opened until the beginning of winter, (it) 'depends on the weather conditions.' Chatrier can be used until the end of January 'covered and protected' from the frost. (At Wimbledon, the Centre Court is only used during their biggest fortnight but otherwise stays inactive all year round.) The courts are worked on between training sessions and the centre runs as good as all year around barring a few months in the winter. As a rule, the outer courts are closed from early November to late March, no events, no training. In this time, Rebuffet says, they are 'exposed to rain and above all, frost to naturally decompact the limestone layer.' From end March till May, the courts are again prepared one at a time and opened for training 'at the same pace.' Through the spring, three show courts plus the fourteen outer courts are steadily revealed in an ever-expanding grand stage set. They lie in wait for their multi-national cast of characters to arrive all at once and throw themselves into Paris' annual ochre opera.
RNZ News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Alcaraz and Sinner French Open final scaled new heights, former champions agree
Carlos Alcaraz ( Spain ) during the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros, 2025. Photo: Dante Badano / PsnewZ / Photosport Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner took tennis to a level above that reached by even the sport's golden generation during their spellbinding French Open final on Sunday (French time), according to a host of former Roland Garros champions. Spaniard Alcaraz, 22, saved three successive match points as he hit back from two sets down to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) in front of a mesmerised Paris crowd. At five hours and 29 minutes it was the longest final at Roland Garros, smashing the previous record set by Sweden's Mats Wilander when he beat Guillermo Vilas in 1982. "The level at the end was absolutely ridiculous," Wilander, analysing the final for broadcaster TNT, said. "I cannot believe we will have this rivalry. They have taken our sport to another level. I never thought I'd say that after the big three - Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic) - but it's actually faster than ever and a level that is hard to believe." Between them the players struck 123 winners and the quality was unrelenting as the final swayed one way and then another as they went toe-to-toe. The final points tally was 193-192 in Sinner's favour but he fell agonisingly short of becoming the first Italian man to win the claycourt title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. "I've seen Federer and Nadal and they played a couple of good finals but nothing comes close to this," Wilander said. "I thought 'this is not possible' they're playing at a pace that is not human. These are two of the best athletes the human race can put forward and they happen to be tennis players. I'm not speechless often but what a wonderful day." Jannik Sinner ( Italy ) during the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros. Photo: © Dante Badano / PsnewZ 2025 It was the first Grand Slam final meeting between the two trailblazers who have now scooped seven out of the last eight Grand Slam titles and with Sinner only 23, they look set to create a rivalry as compelling as those between Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. "The first final between these two. Celestial tennis from Alcaraz in that final tie breaker," said another former French Open champion Jim Courier, who commentated on the match for TNT. "There are days that tennis players don't forget." Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe said both would have beaten record 14-time French Open champion and claycourt king Nadal at his peak. "You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best," the American said. "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." Former Roland Garros winner Andre Agassi also sounded an ominous warning for anyone hoping to dethrone Alcaraz at Wimbledon where this year he will seek a hat-trick of titles. "Alcaraz's best surface to me, shockingly would be between here and Wimbledon. I'd actually say grass might be his best surface," the American, who presented the trophy, said. "I mean, you gotta 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. He has RPMs in pace like Rafa. You could argue maybe even more." -Reuters
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The 10 greatest men's tennis matches ever: Where does Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's French Open epic rank?
'The level is higher than I've ever seen' said an awestruck John McEnroe. Mats Wilander added: 'I've seen Federer and Nadal and they played a couple of good finals but nothing comes close to this to me.'
Khaleej Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Alcaraz, Sinner more talented than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic? Former champions give their verdict
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner took tennis to a level above that reached by even the sport's golden generation during their spellbinding French Open final on Sunday, according to a host of former Roland Garros champions. Spaniard Alcaraz, 22, saved three successive match points as he hit back from two sets down to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) in front of a mesmerised Paris crowd. At five hours and 29 minutes it was the longest final at Roland Garros, smashing the previous record set by Sweden's Mats Wilander when he beat Guillermo Vilas in 1982. "The level at the end was absolutely ridiculous," Wilander, analysing the final for broadcaster TNT, said. "I cannot believe we will have this rivalry. They have taken our sport to another level. I never thought I'd say that after the big three -- Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic) - but its actually faster than ever and a level that is hard to believe." Between them the players struck 123 winners and the quality was unrelenting as the final swayed one way and then another as they went toe-to-toe. The final points tally was 193-192 in Sinner's favour but he fell agonisingly short of becoming the first Italian man to win the claycourt title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. "I've seen Federer and Nadal and they played a couple of good finals but nothing comes close to this," Wilander said. "I thought 'this is not possible' they're playing at a pace that is not human. These are two of the best athletes the human race can put forward and they happen to be tennis players. I'm not speechless often but what a wonderful day." It was the first Grand Slam final meeting between the two Gen X trailblazers who have now scooped seven out of the last eight Grand Slam titles and with Sinner only 23, they look set to create a rivalry as compelling as those between Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. "The first final between these two. Celestial tennis from Alcaraz in that final tie breaker," said another former French Open champion Jim Courier, who commentated on the match for TNT. "There are days that tennis players don't forget." Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe said both would have beaten record 14-time French Open champion and claycourt king Nadal at his peak. "You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best," the American said. "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." Former Roland Garros winner Andre Agassi also sounded an ominous warning for anyone hoping to dethrone Alcaraz at Wimbledon where this year he will seek a hat-trick of titles. "Alcaraz's best surface to me, shockingly would be between here and Wimbledon. I'd actually say grass might be his best surface," the American, who presented the trophy, said. "I mean, you gotta 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. He has RPMs in pace like Rafa. You could argue maybe even more."
CNA
08-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Alcaraz and Sinner French Open final scaled new heights, agree former champions
PARIS :Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner took tennis to a level above that reached by even the sport's golden generation during their spellbinding French Open final on Sunday, according to a host of former Roland Garros champions. Spaniard Alcaraz, 22, saved three successive match points as he hit back from two sets down to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) in front of a mesmerised Paris crowd. At five hours and 29 minutes it was the longest final at Roland Garros, smashing the previous record set by Sweden's Mats Wilander when he beat Guillermo Vilas in 1982. "The level at the end was absolutely ridiculous," Wilander, analysing the final for broadcaster TNT, said. "I cannot believe we will have this rivalry. They have taken our sport to another level. I never thought I'd say that after the big three - Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic) - but its actually faster than ever and a level that is hard to believe." Between them the players struck 123 winners and the quality was unrelenting as the final swayed one way and then another as they went toe-to-toe. The final points tally was 193-192 in Sinner's favour but he fell agonisingly short of becoming the first Italian man to win the claycourt title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. "I've seen Federer and Nadal and they played a couple of good finals but nothing comes close to this," Wilander said. "I thought 'this is not possible' they're playing at a pace that is not human. These are two of the best athletes the human race can put forward and they happen to be tennis players. I'm not speechless often but what a wonderful day." It was the first Grand Slam final meeting between the two Gen X trailblazers who have now scooped seven out of the last eight Grand Slam titles and with Sinner only 23, they look set to create a rivalry as compelling as those between Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. "The first final between these two. Celestial tennis from Alcaraz in that final tie breaker," said another former French Open champion Jim Courier, who commentated on the match for TNT. "There are days that tennis players don't forget." Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe said both would have beaten record 14-time French Open champion and claycourt king Nadal at his peak. "You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best," the American said. "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." Former Roland Garros winner Andre Agassi also sounded an ominous warning for anyone hoping to dethrone Alcaraz at Wimbledon where this year he will seek a hat-trick of titles. "Alcaraz's best surface to me, shockingly would be between here and Wimbledon. I'd actually say grass might be his best surface," the American, who presented the trophy, said. "I mean, you gotta 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. He has RPMs in pace like Rafa. You could argue maybe even more."
