Latest news with #RolandGarros'
Observer
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Sinner had 'sleepless nights' after dramatic French Open final loss
Munich: Italian Jannik Sinner said on Sunday he had experienced "a few sleepless nights" since his historic French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner, 23, tasted defeat after five hours and 29 minutes in Roland Garros' longest ever final last weekend and wasted three match points, having been two sets up. "I had already a few sleepless nights, but I think everyday it gets better," Sinner told reporters before starting his grass season in Halle, Germany next week. "Tennis is important in my life but nevertheless family and friends more important. "Nonetheless I think often about the match," the world number one added. Sinner failed to add to his Australian and US Open titles in the already legendary decider with Spaniard Alcaraz in Paris. He returned home to Trentino-South Tyrol after the gruelling encounter on clay. "I was very relaxed with my family. We grilled a bit, played table tennis with my friends," Sinner said. "Really normal things, nothing special. I like going home, when a lot is going on. "I feel safe at home and with my friends," he added. Sinner returned from a three-month doping suspension in mid-May and now turns his mind to defending the title in Germany. "The ball can bounce a bit funny because of the grass, and you have to serve intelligently," Sinner said. "But in general, it is a surface on which I took a step forward last year and we will see how it goes this year," he added. Meanwhile, British number one Jack Draper believes the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be crucial if tennis is to regain the spotlight shone on it during the Federer-Nadal era. Last weekend's epic Roland Garros final — won by the Spaniard, who came from two sets down to defend his title in a French Open record five-hour, 29-minute marathon — enraptured audiences, pushing viewing figures to new heights for broadcaster Warner Bros Discovery. Draper, the second seed at Wimbledon warm-up Queen's in London this week and entering at a career-high world number four, acknowledges everyone in the game benefits when the sport's biggest names are playing at their captivating best. "I think tennis is in a really good spot in a way that the depth of it, especially the top 100, is extremely strong," said Briton Draper,who has been drawn against American Jenson Brooksby in the Queen's first round. "Everyone is so good (but) maybe five, 10 years ago, maybe the top 10or the top 20 was a bit more stacked. "But having those two guys especially, who were being incredibly consistent showing that level of the game, in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and dragging more attention to the sport,that only helps them, helps players like myself, helps the game in general to keep on moving in the right direction and keep developing. — Agencies
France 24
15-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Sinner had 'sleepless nights' after dramatic French Open final loss
Sinner, 23, tasted defeat after five hours and 29 minutes in Roland Garros' longest ever final last weekend and wasted three match points, having been two sets up. "I had already a few sleepless nights, but I think every day it gets better," Sinner told reporters before starting his grass season in Halle, Germany next week. "Tennis is important in my life but nevertheless family and friends more important. "Nonetheless I think often about the match," the world number one added. Sinner failed to add to his Australian and US Open titles in the already legendary decider with Spaniard Alcaraz in Paris. He returned home to Trentino-South Tyrol after the gruelling encounter on clay. "I was very relaxed with my family. We grilled a bit, played table tennis with my friends," Sinner said. "Really normal things, nothing special. I like going home, when a lot is going on. "I feel safe at home and with my friends," he added. Sinner returned from a three-month doping suspension in mid-May and now turns his mind to defending the title in Germany. "The ball can bounce a bit funny because of the grass, and you have to serve intelligently," Sinner said. "But in general, it is a surface on which I took a step forward last year and we will see how it goes this year," he added.
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.
Express Tribune
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Alcaraz battles back to win French Open
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses with the trophy next to the clock that shows the duration of the match, the longest for a final in Roland-Garros against Italy's Jannik Sinner, after winning the French Open. PHOTO: AFP Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink of a first Grand Slam final loss to outlast Jannik Sinner in a French Open title clash for the ages on Sunday and keep his crown, cementing his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old saved three match points in the fourth set to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) and continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian's 20-match winning run at the majors. Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros - and soaked up the roaring ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to 14-times champion Nadal's reign. "I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament," Alcaraz told Sinner after collecting the Musketeers' Cup. "I'm sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you." Victory made him only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Swiss great Roger Federer but Alcaraz was more enthralled with an achievement he shared with fellow Spaniard and 22-times major champion Nadal. "The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Nadal, that's destiny ," Alcaraz told reporters. "It's a stat I'm going to keep forever It's a huge honour. Hopefully it's not going to stop like this." Alcaraz and Sinner, who have lifted seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority in the men's game, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s. Sunday's five-hour-plus fiesta was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved a match point en route to victory in a Grand Slam final. Playing his first Grand Slam after serving a three-month ban after a doping case, top seed Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes. However, the 23-year-old was broken in the fifth game when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense opening set following an unforced error by Alcaraz. On the ropes Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier. An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours. Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down before, battled hard in the hope of avoiding heartbreak in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth, later restoring parity following the tiebreak. Sinner was left to digest how he let slip a golden chance to win claycourt's blue riband event following hardcourt triumphs at the U.S. Open and Australian Open. Alcaraz fell to the red dirt before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the heaving stands to hug his team and celebrate. "CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY," the French Open posted on X. Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench as his rival rejoiced, and was gracious in defeat when he congratulated him during the trophy ceremony.
Al Etihad
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Tennis: Prince of Clay Alcaraz battles back from the brink to retain French Open crown
9 June 2025 17:26 PARIS (REUTERS)Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink of a first Grand Slam final loss to outlast Jannik Sinner in a French Open title clash for the ages on Sunday and keep his crown, cementing his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old saved three match points in the fourth set to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) and continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian's 20-match winning run at the showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros - and soaked up the roaring ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to 14-times champion Nadal's reign."I'm just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament," Alcaraz told Sinner after collecting the Musketeers' Cup."I'm sure you're going to be champion not once, but many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you."Victory made him only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Swiss great Roger Federer but Alcaraz was more enthralled with an achievement he shared with fellow Spaniard and 22-times major champion Nadal."The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Nadal, that'sdestiny," Alcaraz told reporters."It's a stat I'm going to keep forever ... It's a huge honour. Hopefully it's not going to stop like this."Alcaraz and Sinner, who have lifted seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority in the men's game, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the five-hour-plus fiesta was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved a match point en route to victory in a Grand Slam matched Argentine Gaston Gaudio's 2004 French Open feat and Serbian Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon comeback in his first Grand Slam after serving a three-month ban after a doping case, top seed Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 the 23-year-old was broken in the fifth game when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense opening set following an unforced error by pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two who had never come back from two sets down before, battled hard in the hope of avoiding heartbreak in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth, later restoring parity following the traded breaks in a high-quality decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to become the third man to capture back-to-back Roland Garros titles this century after Nadal and Gustavo was left to digest how he let slip a golden chance to win claycourt's blue riband event following hardcourt triumphs at the U.S. Open and Australian Open. Alcaraz fell to the red dirt before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the heaving stands to hug his team and celebrate. "CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY," the French Open posted on had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench as his rival rejoiced, and was gracious in defeat when he congratulated him during the trophy ceremony."We tried our best today, we gave everything ... an amazing tournament even though it's very difficult now," Sinner said. "It's a big privilege for me to play here ... I won't sleep very well tonight but it's okay."
