And oh! Tumani’s report is here! Enjoy, and that really is that.
Oh, and don’t miss this!
That, then is us. What an absolute joy and honour it’s been to experience one of the greatest finals ever, in any sport; what an absolute joy and honour it’s been to bring it to you. As I type, Sinner signs autographs, which tells us everything about what this is: a triumph of the human spirit. I’ll level with you, I’m quite keen to stop typing now, but at the same time, the last thing I want to do is stop typing now – how can it be over? Except it’ll never be over: it’ll be part of us all, enshrined in the annals of humanity for eternity. Thanks so much for sharing it with us we’ll be back three weeks tomorrow for Wimbledon, with a bit of Queen’s Club between now and then. But otherwise, it’s been epochal; peace and love, mates.
“Hi everyone,” Alcaraz begins. “I want to start with Jannik”. He then praises his opponent for his hard work, assuring him he’ll win this tournament many times and it’s a privilege to share the court and make history with him.
He then thanks him for being a “great inspiration” as Sinner looks into the middle distance, trying to hold it down, the moves on to his family and team.
He’s lucky to have a lot of people who’ve come from Murcia to support him, along with those at home, telling them the trophy is theirs too.
This tournament is very special for him and he can’t wait to come back year after year, thanking Amelie Mauresmo, the tournament director and acknowledging it’s not easy to deal with the players.
Next, it’s thanks for the crowd – You are in my heart, you’ll always be in my heart, thanks very much, see you next year.”
And that’s our lot – but what a lot it’s been.
Now it’s Alcaraz to receive the trophy, which he holds aloft, a businesslike look on his coupon. He then hugs it tight, kisses it, and tears well. What a human being – and he’s only 22! Next, the Spanish anthem…
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Sinner takes the mic and the crowd roar his name. “Hello everyone,” he begins in typically understated fashion; I’m absolutely gone.
He congratulates Alcaraz on an “amazing performance, amazing battle, amazing everything” – he’s not wrong. “I’m very happy for you,” he says. “You deserve it.” Gosh, what a mensch.
“It’s easier to play than talking … now,” he continues, before thanking his team for putting him in this position. “We tried our best today, we gave everything we had,” he says, adding that a while ago they’d have signed up for this. “An amazing tournament, even though it’s very very difficult now, but it’s OK.”
He then thanks the ball kids on an amazing job – the look in their eyes as they gaze up at him is beautiful. He then talks about how great Paris is, concedes that he won’t sleep very well tonight, says thanks again, and off he goes.
Well expletive played, old mate, well played.
Here comes Jannik. Oh mate, you absolute hero. I think my eyeballs might be sweating.
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Andre Agassi, who came back from two sets down to beat Andriy Medvedev to win this trophy in 1999, is here to present it to Alcaraz. What an honour for both of them.
You know what’s mad? There’s another decade-odd of this to come, assuming the world doesn’t end in a minute, now humanity has justified its purpose on this planet. How can we carry on?
Alcaraz sits alone, watching the screen as it replays his miraculous deeds, then begins laughing. He is history.
I hope that, in the fullness of time, Sinner can feel pride in this match – he contributed just as much to it as Alcaraz and it’ll be part of both of them for evermore. Lots of great teams and players lost the match for which they’re best remembered – Australia’s men’s cricket team of 2005; the Hungary football team at the 1954 World Cup; Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2008. Sinner will come again, he will win that trophy, and what he now has, that he will never lose, is the love of the people.
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The players embrace, but Sinner doesn’t really want any of it – his head is spinning, you can see it in his eyes, and Alcaraz races up to his box, joining a huddle of contagious, inspiring ecstasy. I am in awe of both of these players, we’ll all be talking about this match for as long as talking is a thing.
Carlos Alcaraz (2) bests Jannik Sinner (1) 4-6 (4)6-7 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2)
One last astounding forehand winner, and Alcaraz is the champion again! He collapses onto the red clay, arm over eyes, and what on earth has he done? What on earth has Sinner done! Thank you boys, thank you so, so much.
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 6-6 Alcaraz (2-9) Sinner goes down the line with a backhand but he’s long, just; a service-winner follows, and Alcaraz has seven championship points, 90-odd minutes after Sinner’s three. Here we go…
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 6-6 Alcaraz (2-7) Oh man, imagine how poor Jannik feels right now. All that work, all that pain, all that suffering, and a backhand down the line makes 7-0; this is the second-longest grand slam final in the open era, behind Djokovic v Nadal in 2012. Sinner takes two service points and clenches fist, trying to convince himself he’s still in it. Godspeed, old mate.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 6-6 Alcaraz (0-6) Alcaraz drops then swing-volleys, and that’s a double mini-break! Again, he raises an arm, the crowd responding to the consummate showman, and when Sinner wafts long, it’s a third break! But in a race to 10, 5-0isn’t quite as definitive as in a race to seven; there are the straws, and the Italian must clutch at them. But instead, he nets a forehand, and this is almost over!
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 6-6 Alcaraz (0-3) A buggy-whipped forehand and Alcaraz seizes the immediate mini-break, then endorses it. He is so good at calculating exactly what he must do to win.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 6-6 Alcaraz* we’ve never had a French Open final settled on a tiebreaker, but when Alcaraz plays two volleys, both to balls annihilated at his heart, we’re a point closer; 15-0. A netted backhand, though, gives him 15-all, then another glorious backhand return – the shot of the match in a way – allows him to come in and, when a disgusting response lands near his ankle, he flicks a touch half-volley back over and Alcaraz can’t direct his riposte in court. He does though, make 30-all, then a monstrous backhand winner makes 30-40 and he’s a point away from a tiebreak. Here we go … and Sinner forces a backhand return on to the line! At deuce, he’s two points away and how good has that shot been for him today? Another great return then puts him ahead in the next rally only for Alcaraz to immediately reverse the situation and claim advantage before, sent to towards the backhand corner and in trouble, he only flips a winner flat and cross-court! We’ve got ourselves a 10-point breaker, and this is one of the greatest finals ever, in any sport. What on earth are we experiencing?
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*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 6-5 Alcaraz A serve out wide to which Alcaraz offers a token arm, unable to move feet, and that’s an ace; another follows for 30-15, then a return falls long and now the crowd chant “Yannik! Yannik! Yannik!”, tribal but as one. It’s beautiful to behold; it feels like the entire energy of the cosmos is fixed on Roland Garros, lifting us all in the process. We wind up at deuce, a winner apiece returning us to it after Sinner makes advantage. And from there, he closes out, skidding into the kind of forehand winner that looked beyond him 20 minutes ago. We’ve been going 5 hours 12 minutes, and there’s more to come. Look after each other, mates.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 5-5 Alcaraz* The man who earlier on saved three championship points will now serve for that championship. Shall we all hold hands? Sinner sends a backhand towards the corner, Alcaraz swats a riposte long; 0-15. And oh my days, one of those backhand returns down the line makes 0-30! Sinner’s mum is all over the show as we all are, how proud must she be of her boy? What a show of love and character this is regardless of how things end; Alcaraz closes to 15-30. AND OH MY COMPLETE AND URTTER ABSOLUTE EVERLASTING DAYS! Another Alcaraz drop, this time Sinner must try chasing it down … he gets there … and has the stillness and skill to caress a beauty back over the net! Two break-back points are his, and he raises an arm to the crowd, Alcaraz-style … THEN ALCARAZ NETS A FOREHAND! JANNIK SINNER HAS BROKEN, AND I AM HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THIS MATCH! WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO BE LIVING IN ITS TIME!
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*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 4-5 Alcaraz Serve out wide, forehand winner; body-serve, wrong-footing forehand winner; 30-0. Alcaraz, though, conjures a forehand winner of his own … but can do nothing about a service winner, and when he wafts a forehand long, he ensures that he’ll have to serve the match out. Can he hold it down? How is it even possible to hold it down?
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 3-5 Alcaraz* Sinner nets a backhand but Alcaraz then does likewise with a drop, doing his best to affect composure but looking peaky; an ace follows. And though a loopy return falls long for 40-15, a forehand winner to the corner gives the Italian a chance … but this time, his backhand return is off, and the champ is a game away from retaining his title. Should he lose, Sinner will take this feeling to his grave; it’ll haunt the nightmares of his unborn grandchildren.
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 3-4 Alcaraz Sinner’s rejuvenated over the last 10 minutes or so and he crouches to mash another backhand winner down the lie for 15-0; a wide return gives him the blessed relief of a short point. I’d love to hear the internal monologues these two have going on here, but in the meantime another winner gives Sinner love hold, and pressure switches to Alcaraz. How can he, or anyone, possibly cope?
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 2-4 Alcaraz* Sinner is running out of break-back opportunities, but OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME! He absolutely creams a backhand pass and Alcaraz, coming in, falls rather than dives into a stretch … and controls a barely believable winner for 15-0! Gosh, but behind it there’s a double, his seventh to Sinner’s none, then a beautiful backhands down the line makes 15-30! The Italian is semi-limping between points and there’s nothing he can do about the classic one-two that comes next, serve out wide, forehand towards the opposite corner. And another drop then makes 40-30, though Sinner’s unhappy the serve wasn’t called out – it looks so and was by a distance, but he didn’t back himself – then a flapped return means Alcaraz leads 4-2 in the fifth!
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 2-3 Alcaraz During change of ends, Alcaraz, on sight the fresher of the two, dug into his pickle juice, which tells us he’s either cramping of in fear of cramping. Sinner then makes 30-15, but a backhand winner, spirited cross, restores parity in the game … before a backhand return drops long. Up 40-30, Sinner then takes a little while longer bouncing the ball, trying to slow himself down, and his second serve is sent back into the net. This match is now the longest French Open final ever, nudging above the 1982 edition between Mats Wilander and Guillermo Villas at 4 hours 43 minutes.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 1-3 Alcaraz* This now the best match I’ve seen since Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final – at least. A drop makes him 15-0, and that’s smart play – he knows his opponent is flagging, and a disgusting forehand from corner to corner facilitates another. Again, Sinner doesn’t chase, and that’s 30-0 … but a clean-up forehand then hits the net, so he’s in the game. Oh, and have a look! Alcaraz massively overhits a forehand, creating tension where previously there was … ever so slightly less, but Sinner then wafts a forehand long and reasons with his box. He can feel it slipping away – for someone as reticent as him, that intimates desperation … except he then punishes a backhand return down the line to make deuce! And aaaarrrgghhh! Alcaraz plants a forehand wide and, out of nowhere, finds himself down advantage! so naturally he responds with a short second serve, out of Sinner’s hit-zone, then puts away at the net; deuce, AND THERE HE GOES AGAIN! A tickled drop, this time inciting Sinner to pursue it – he thinks he can get it, he needs the point … and he can’t, so he doesn’t. No matter, a devastating forehand restores deuce, and this is some of the maddest behaviour I’ve seen in my life; how is this even possible? Alcaraz sends down a double … but next rally, Sinner can’t control a backhand, and his mum looks like she’s in a washing machine with a hangover. And this time, the champ closes out, that middle to corner forehand that’s served him so well securing the hold. Simple, really.
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*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 1-2 Alcaraz Earlier in the match we talked about the differences between these two and I wonder how much of the difference between them is made up, not by tennis but by Alcaraz’s unstoppable life-force. Sinner makes 30-15, the champ sends two forehands long, and that is a crucial hold. For as long as he can stay within a break, he’s still in the match.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 0-2 Alcaraz* At 15-0, Sinner bends double, looking to conserve all the energy he has left; Alcaraz is bouncing about like a new-born puppy. Wearing a knuckle duster. A buggy-whipped forehand down the line – the kind Sinner might’ve retrieved earlier in the match – makes 40-15, and seconds later, the consolidation is secure. Alcaraz might get nervous as victory draws nearer, but at this point, a comeback looks beyond the Italian.
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 0-1 Alcaraz Alcaraz outlasts Sinner in the opening point of the fifth, the punishes a forehand down the line to which the Italian is noticeably slower, his riposte facilitating a forehand winner down the line; 0-30, and trouble. Sinner does close to 15-30, but then nets an overhand forehand and here come two break points! I can barely feel my fingers! Alcaraz’s first return is wide, after which follows a rally of frankly evil nature, sinner eventually finding himself unable to reach a drop and steer his response into court! The champ leads with a break, Sinner now seems to be limping, and Carlos Alcaraz has some of the most compelling, affirming competitive charisma I’ve ever seen. I love him; I love them both; I love this.
“Remember when Federer and Nadal retired and we thought we’d never see matches like that again?” wonders Nath Jones.
The regenerative, regenerating power of sport. I feel simultaneously 20 years older and 20 years younger.
Carlos Alcaraz wins the fourth set to level the match at two sets all
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 (3)6-7 Alcaraz This is some of the very best stuff this world has to offer us; drink it in, friends. Alcaraz hammers a forehand into space and we’re going to a decider! Their poor parents!
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 6-6 Alcaraz (3-6) I’m trying so hard to stay in the moment, but can’t stop my ADHD brain kvelling at how many more of these outrageous contests await us. Facing a second serve, Sinner slams a forehand long – that, mes amis, is pressure – then another error means the man who, 20 minutes ago held three championship points, is now three set points down!
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 6-6 Alcaraz (2-4) And another ace follows that! Alcaraz leads 3-2 and it’s now him playing the biggest points better, which is to say there’s almost nothing between them. And when Sinner slaps a forehand marginally wide, the champ is up a mini-break! He’s so unbelievably brilliant at doing whatever a situation demands of him.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 6-6 Alcaraz (2-2) Immediate mini-break to Sinner when Alcaraz nets, then at 2-0 and out of naewhere, the champ invents a forehand that breaks the sideline to erase the advantage. An ace follows!
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*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 6-6 Alcaraz Sinner rights himself, making 30-0, and I am in awe of these lads. What it takes to get to here, then embrace the moment, is mind-boggling; we reach the four-hour mark as the Italian reaches 40-15, then Alcaraz lashes a flat forehand winner from centre to corner that leaves no less a legend than Andre Agassi shaking his head in mystification. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen tennis balls hit harder, and Sinner secures the holds that gives him – and us! – a fourth-set breaker. Hold me!
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 5-6 Alcaraz* Sinner was so close to the title and has never won a match of this length. He’ll know the situation got big on him there, a lot to process in the maelstrom of the moment, and a love hold further amps up the pressure, Chatrier a rabid agglomeration of confused, bemused, elated humanity.
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 5-5 Alcaraz Carlos Alcaraz has some stones. He could easily have shrunk down 0-40, but these two are of different ilk to the likes of us …. which is why, down 0-15, Sinner is able to hammer down an overhead then, when it comes back, find the steadiness of hand to feather a drop for 15-all. An overhit forehand, though, nudges Alcaraz back in front in the game, the crowd cavorting with every point he wins, and another gorgeously-played rally allows him to finish at the net, two break-back points in his pocket. What can Sinner find? He’s never been under pressure like this in a major final, and when his first serve lands out, the champ stays back then astonishes a forehand down the line that the world no 1 can’t get back! Chatrier is now hovering above the planet, and are we all still breathing? Sinner tightened, Alcaraz loosened, and who will recover from the accordant emotional dump the better?
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 5-4 Alcaraz* Sinner’s returning today has been wondrous, more of the same again forcing Alcaraz to play around himself from the line; he gets the ball back, but a forehand makes 0-15 and a double follows! The world no 1 is two points from a first French Open title and looks the chillest due in the arena, all the more so when Alcaraz whumps long to hand over three championship points! Sinner’s mum is tearful, looking ready to explode with every emotion known to mankind, but she’ll need to wait at least one more rally, a forehand on the run falling long. Oh, and another does likewise then, having been sent to the corner, Alcaraz responds with a brave forehand that lands close to the line, and sinner nets! We’re at deuce, three championship points saved, and OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER DAYS! Alcaraz makes advantage then, directed to the forehand corner, he smooooookes a forehand winner down the line to secure his hold! He again noises up the crowd – and himself – while Sinner returns to his seat with a lot to think about about which to think…
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 5-3 Alcaraz Sinner nets for 0-15 but plays like nothing happened, whacking from the back till Alcaraz goes long. Then, when the champ comes in, he gets enough dip on a cross-court pass such that the riposte goes into the net then delays the next point to use the towel, whether to clam himself or discomfit his opponent. Either way, a serve out wide allows yet another violent forehand for 40-15, another seals the hold, AND JANNIK SINNER IS A GAME AWAY FROM A THIRD SLAM IN A ROW!
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 4-3 Alcaraz* At 0-15, Sinner dematerialising a backhand to the corner in order to caress a gorgeous drop across the face of the net; that is delightful, and when another vicious forehand enables 0-40, we’re at a juncture-point. Ohhh, and Alcaraz flaps a backhand wide! As Alex Ferguson once said, when it goes, it goes quickly, and might that be the match? Sinner is two games away from a third major on the spin!
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*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 3-3 Alcaraz Will fatigue become a factor as the match goes deeper? We’ve seen Alcaraz struggle before, the pressure as much an issue as the exhaustion, but for now both players look alright – under the circumstances. I nip for a comfort break, Sinner holds to love, and I could watch this for days.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 2-3 Alcaraz* Up 15-0, Alcaraz drops into the net, restoring his advantage with an ace sliced out wide. But at 40-15, a double offers Sinner a sniff … snuffed out with a tremendous first serve clouted out wide. He leads again in the third.
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 2-2 Alcaraz there’s something so moving about watching two young men reveal their souls in this way, the suffering and love, the pain and joy, the impregnability and vulnerability almost too much to bear. We’ve not seen any stats, but my sense is that the points are getting longer, every shot upping ante and tension, each player daring the other to go for something. Sinner makes 40-15 but, caught at the net, can’t direct a pass back over, on the stretch, and we cut to his mum; I’ve not a clue how she can even exist at this moment or, in other words, it’s not just the players who are mentality monsters but their nearest and dearest too. Anyroad, sent to the corner, Sinner flicks back improbably yet again, waiting for the ball he gambles will be directed to the same spot … and he’s right, crunching a winner to seal another hold.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 1-2 Alcaraz* There’s a Borg v McEnroe vibe to this, one cold-blooded and one hot, each only able to be extended by t’other. And, as I type, Sinner, bent at the waist, guides yet another wondrous backhand winner down the line for 15-30 … only to end another exhausting rally by netting. This is hard to watch now (no it isnt!), the physical toll it’s exacting palpable, and when Alcaraz ends a point by netting, he faces break point; is Sinner making his move? It would seem not, consecutive errors handing over advantage and another completing a crucial hold, greeted with a holler of “Vamos!” I’m a wreck and I’m only watching them.
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 1-1 Alcaraz I’ve not a clue how these lads keep focused competing for such a long period – we’re been going nearly three-and-a-quarter hours. It’s very noticeable that the players are no longer looking to chase down hopeful balls, Sinner lashing a forehand winner down the line to seal a love hold.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 0-1 Alcaraz* Up 40-15, Alcaraz strays long and invites pressure, then does the same again; deuce. Can he calm himself? He was seriously amped after taking the third set and can’t be throwing away all his hard work, but a body-serve helps earn advantage, then a terrific delivery on to the T secures the hold and the champ is on a buzz! We knew from the start that he’ss the better player, but also that he could only win if he hits close to his best level.
Carlos Alcaraz takes the third set 6-4 to trail Jannik Sinner 2-1
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6 Alcaraz Alcaraz makes 0-15 then runs in to despatch after a tentative overhead clips the tape; that was a little nervous from Sinner and when he hauls another forehand around his body to the corner, this time Alcaraz is there to panel a forehand winner down the line, raising three set points in the process! And he only needs one, a backhand down the line – the kind of shot with which Sinner was dictating earlier in the match – snatches momentum in the rally, he puts away a volley atthe net, and cups an ear to an increasingly febrile crowd! For the first time since round four in Australia, Sinner has lost a grand-slam set
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 4-5 Alcaraz* Sinner’s returning was, I think, a crucial aspect of the match in sets one and two, and his backhand was probably the best I’ve seen it. Ohh, and as I type, he nails a beauty down the line for 15-all, then Alcaraz nets a forehand, and at 15-30, we have ourselves a moment. Chatrier falls silent – you could cut the atmosphere with an atmosphere-cutter – Sinner steps in to receive a second serve … then, shortly afterwards, slaps a forehand long; 30-all. Ach, but when Alcaraz flips a lob long – I don’t know why he tried that shot – he’s break-back point down AND HAVE AN ABSOLUTE LOOK PEOPLE! Running towards his own base-line, Sinner hooks around his body and to the corner, a shot that might just turn the match back in his favour! We’re back on serve in set three and every time the world no 1 has needed something, he’s found it! This is such a contest.
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*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 3-5 Alcaraz I don’t think Alcaraz has changed much, it’s just that he’s no longer facing the best player in the world playing his best stuff and is making fewer errors himself. Sinner, though, holds to 15, an ace securing things and forcing his opponent to serve for the third set.
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 2-5 Alcaraz* At 15-all, a double – Alcaraz’s third to Sinner’s zero, incredible given the risk-taking we’ve seen on second serve – puts the champ under pressure, but a forehand hurtled down the line makes 30-all. A tame return, though, – of another second serve – hands over game point, and a delivery out wide is easily tidied via forehand, Sinner not even bothering to chase it down. Can he relocate his mojo?
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 2-4 Alcaraz I guess we can’t expect Sinner to play at the level he showed in sets one and two for the entirety of a match, certainly not against Alcaraz on clay. Sinner holds to 15, and this is on a rolling boil.
“‘A decade or more of this to which to look forward’,” chides Peter Richards, hoisting me by me own petard. Apologies to all my friends and family.
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 1-4 Alcaraz* As I’m tidying up that previous mini-epic, Alcaraz holds to 30, and we’ve got a decade and more of this to look forward to, mates. Lucky us!
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 1-3 Alcaraz One of the reasons Alcaraz is so loved is that despite how hard tennis is, he almost always looks like he’s having the time of his life on court. Well, not so today, Sinner’s consistency in taking away what he does better making for a miserable experience. But down 40-15, an overhead into the net offers him a sniff, the a framed forehand takes us to deuce! Now then! But Alcaraz, standing well back on second serve, giving his opponent something new to think about about which to think, hands over advantage … then plays a decent drop and tidies up the riposte before a second frame of the game means he has break point … and what a point it is, both players assaulting the ball and momentum switching from one to t’other, the tension outrageous … until Sinner nets a forehand! Alcaraz salutes the crowd and for the first time since the first set, he looks the better player! We said this’d be epochal, and it is! MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 1-2 Alcaraz* Of course, if Sinner wins this, he’ll be Wimbledon away from a grand slam, a ridiculous achievement in any circumstance, but at the age of 23? Meantime, though, he’s dropped a little, Alcaraz no longer under pressure on almost every shot, his hold sealed with an ace. I’d not be surprised to see him really go after Sinner’s next service-game, standing on the line and looking to make his opponent play balls.
*Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 1-1 Alcaraz In comms, Courier notes that Sinner’s gameplan has been excellent, returns down the middle of the court to deny Alcaraz the angles that give him an advantage. But beyond that, his hitting on the stretch has been fantastic, so too the length on his groundstrokes and the way he’s executed on the biggest points. He does, though, see 30-0 turn into 30-all and we wind up at deuce, the champ opening shoulders to unleash an inside-out forehand for advantage. And when Sinner flaps a forehand long, we’re back on serve in the third! Alcaraz is still fighting for dis ting!
“Sinner’s backhand consistency is so good he has forced Alcaraz to use the forehand for winners more often,” reckons Yash Gupta. “In the beginning Alcaraz met the challenge well but faded afterwards. Sinner also goes aerial on his shots and lands at the right time to counter Alcaraz’s more spin. Similar to how Novak Djokovic played against Nadal on clay, especially in 2013 semi-final.
Alcaraz needs to drop(no pun intended) the backhand drop shot and reduce the spin so Sinner can’t go aerial when playing backhand shots. But that’s also been highlight of this match. In other words good luck Carlos!”
I agree the consistency is key. Alcaraz can’t play a brilliant shot to win every point because no one can, and he’s being asked to.
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Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) 1-0 Alcaraz* Alcaraz has never come back from two sets down to win a match, and nothing about what we’ve seen so far – how well he’s playing, how well his opponent’s playing – suggests he’s likely to break that duck here. Real talk, this is ominous stuff for every man on the tour – if Sinner can do this to Alcaraz on clay, can win a slam on it without losing a set, making it his third major won in a row on serve, where will it all end? Shonuff the champ is soon chuntering to himself and to his box, down 15-30 then seeing Sinner find another absurd forehand when behind in the rally, flipping from the corner almost on to the line. And down 15-40, he hooks wide a forehand of his own, and this feels close to over.
Jannik Sinner takes the second set to lead 2-0
Sinner 6-4 7-6(4) Alcaraz Sinner nets a forehand but a offered a second serve, he conjures yet another backhand return that takes control of the point. Alcaraz, though, sticks in it, hoists a cunning lob that can’t be properly despatched via backhand overhead, and a glorious forehand pass, annihilated cross, saves a second set point. Next rally, though, sent to the forehand corner, Sinner finds a monster of his own, hurling every part of him into a flat riposte, and it’s too good! Sinner leads by two sets to love and it’s a long way back for the champ from here!
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Sinner 6-4 6-6 Alcaraz (6-2) Sinner’s returning today has been sensational and another humdinger sees Alcaraz paint a hopeful drop cross .. and wide. That’s 5-2 and the breaker, along with the match, is disappearing; a big serve and the Italian has four set points…
Sinner 6-4 6-6 Alcaraz (4-2) One-two punch from Sinner makes 3-2, then he steps in to attack a second serve, sees control of the point wrested from him … only to delay a split second and punish a forehand down the line just as Alcaraz moves towards the middle! Brilliant behaviour! Sinner seizes the mini-break and the way he’s playing, you fancy him strongly!
Sinner 6-4 6-6 Alcaraz (2-2) Huge second serve from Sinner, who’ll have seen Alcaraz taking Musetti’s to the clearers; he quickly cleans up with a table tennis-style forehand, inside-out cross-court. The champ, though, confidently holds his to service-points; an ace down the T from Sinner and we’re at 2-2.
Sinner 6-4 6-6 Alcaraz* The quality’s not been as high in this set but the intensity is even higher, both players exhibiting frustration as they tire. Alcaraz makes 40-0 in short order, then serves out wide and buggy-whips a forehand into the opposite corner; we’ve got ourselves a breaker, and I’ve not a clue which way it’ll go.
*Sinner 6-4 6-5 Alcaraz Maybe! Sinner frames one for 0-15 … then drills a forehands down the line for 15-all. A service-winner follows, then a gorgeous point, not quite finished via overhead, so a drop and a lob do the job, making 40-145, and an ace seals an impressive hold. Alcaraz will shortly serve to stay in the second set.
Sinner 6-4 5-5 Alcaraz* The crowd are desperate for Alcaraz to level the match, partly because they’re desperate to witness a classic, partly because he’s so damn loveable. And he’s right back at it here, playing two lovely points for 30-0 – no tactical change, just better tennising – and, though he spanks long at 40-0, two ninja forehands restore parity in set two! He pumps fist at the crowd, arm aloft, the chants of “Carlos! Carlos! Carlos!: reverberating, and has he found form at exactly the right time?
*Sinner 6-4 5-4 Alcaraz I can’t see Alcaraz coming back if Sinner serves out here – he’s capable, but I don’t think he’s capable today. But when Sinner sends down a fault, he steps in and creams back the second delivery before another fine return allows the forehand putaway. Monumental points coming up, Sinner blocking back a buggy-whipped forehand deep that incites Alcaraz to again go for a winner; he misses, and that’s 30-all. Alcaraz, though, is forcing himself into things, a forehand/backhand combo raising break-back point and a big return vaulting him into the point, Sinner then going long and we’re back on serve! Alcaraz played much better in the first set, but he lost that and remains in this.
Sinner 6-4 5-3 Alcaraz* I fancied Sabalenka to win yesterday because I hadn’t been especially impressed with how Gauff was playing, but she was able to find her best stuff; so far, Alcaraz is doing as he has been, mixing quality with carelessness. He does, though, hold to 15, meaning Sinner will shortly serve for a two-set lead.
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*Sinner 6-4 5-2 Alcaraz Alcaraz returns to his mark, racket aloft – noising up the crowd but probably hoping they return the favour. And have a look! An inside-out backhand down the line exploits the news balls for 0-15, then Sinner does everything bar win the point for 30-15, instead carefully placing his volley wide – an oversight noteworthy for the rarity of it. This could well be the set right here and, as I type, a horrendous return from Alcaraz donates Sinner 30-all. A return into the net follows, then a forehand looped long, and the world no 1 is a game away from a two-set lead. The champ needs something and quickly.
Sinner 6-4 4-2 Alcaraz* So why is Sinner controlling the match? Other than playing the big points better, he’s returning superbly and managing to play the majority of balls from the baseline, moving side to side; he’s not being sent out of court or hauled to the net very often. Will Alcaraz change anything? Er, he sees 30-0 turn into 30-all then, after struggling with another tremendous return, Sinner’s backhand into the net offers blessed relief … but only for as long as it takes him to dispense a double for deuce. Scary hours for the champ, but he secures the hold with the kind of drop he needs to play more often. He’s still in this second set.
*Sinner 6-4 4-1 Alcaraz At 30-0, a Sinner error invites Alcaraz into the game, but he then nets a running forehand – an error we might call unforced, but might also ascribe to the relentless pressure exerted by the world no 1. In making the final, Alcaraz has been several clicks short of his best enough to beat everyone but his opponent today. Sinner holds to 30, and for the third major final in a row, things are proceeding exactly as he intended them to.
“I applaud you for calling out the awful sartorial choice of a collared shirt for tennis,” says Simon Hoer. “Could we also discuss function, please? Was it Nadal who spent most of his prep time during serves tucking the shoulder of his shirt until it was halfway comfortable? Why not wear a vest for a sport that requires a lot of freedom of movement in the shoulder area?”
Exhibit A:
Sinner 6-4 3-1 Alcaraz* The way Sinner’s playing, coming back from two sets down against him feels like solving a tangram on a treadmill, blindfolded. Alcaraz needs to get more balls breaking sidelines, I think, rather than seek corners; a frustrated forehand, brutalised flat, makes him 15-0 while also illustrating his state of mind. From there, we move to 40-15, then a backhand return skips up beyond his stretch and suddenly there’s pressure … but not for log, a serve out wide tidied at net. That’s Alcaraz’s first game in six.
*Sinner 6-4 3-0 Alcaraz Up 30-0, Sinner goes long, but then plays a terrific next point, his backhand dominating before a sensational surprise-forehand down the line irrevocably seizes command of the rally, eventually ended with a backhand volley. Another forehand then changes the temperature of the next point, Sinner takes that one too, and this is morphing from thriller into masterclass.
Sinner 6-4 2-0 Alcaraz* Alcaraz is having a down moment, erring at 15-30 to face two break points. And a fine return, delivered on the stretch and into a nasty area by the ankles, asks the question, then a forehand clobbered long means Sinner is now in control of this match. The champ has tamely surrendered the big points and if the Italian can keep it tight, it’ll take something significant to stop him, the way he’s playing.
“What are examples of shirts you like?” returns Michael Meagher; why, I thought you’d never ask.
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*Sinner 6-4 1-0 Alcaraz I said earlier on I felt Sinner had to win from the front and here he is, the way Alcaraz tossed the key game not entirely explicable – rather than crumble under pressure, he played it as if there was none. He does, though, make 30-all, then calls the umpire to check a serve he thinks is out – he’s right – but unable to collar the second delivery, he’s soon chuntering to himself before buggy-whipping a forehand down the line which helps him get to deuce. An ace, though, wins Sinner advantage and a service-winner secures an important hold. So far, it’s the world no 1 playing the big points better.
Jannik Sinner wins the first set 6-4
Sinner 6-4 Alcaraz* There’s a pause as Alcaraz has dust in his eye, then two loose shots means we wind up at 30-all … and a backhand is sent wide; set point Sinner! And have a look! The champ thwacks another backhand, this time into the tape, the ball leaps up and flies wide! The first set goes to the world no 1, whose consistency makes the difference in the end.
“What’s wrong with their shirts?” wonders Michael Meagher. It is, of course, a matter of opinion, but Sinner looks like Luigi, Alcaraz like a cartoon convict.
*Sinner 5-4 Alcaraz Sinner disguises a shot to the backhand corner, coming in to despatch a volley for 40-15; a big serve and clean-up backhand means Alcaraz must now hold to stay in an epic first set. Pressure!
Otherwise, Odell Beckham Jr is in the crowd; any excuse.
Sinner 4-4 Alcaraz* Sinner has treatment for a blister on his foot then we get back going and he swats a forehand wide; a double restores parity, and eventually we reach 30-40, Alcaraz clouting a service-winner down the T for deuce. A leaping inside-out forehand then makes advantage, then a wrong-footer breaks the sideline to seal a colossal hold. Almost every game is a battle though, amid all my rhapsodising, the abomination that is these rig-outs must not be ignored. I can’t for the life of me understand how this came to pass.
*Sinner 4-3 Alcaraz That feeling of repeatedly commanding yourself to savour something while it’s still happening; this is that. Sinner holds to love, and I’ve just noticed my face is about a foot closer to my screen than usual. I’m tingling.
Sinner 3-3 Alcaraz* Sinner quickly makes 0-30 and will know that on Friday, Alcaraz was twice broken immediately after breaking. This time, though, that forehand, so far the match’s deadliest shot, gives him 15, a drop levelling the game. A mahoosive serve out wide follows, so he follows in behind it only for a ludicrous return to trim his tootsies and stymie his volley; break-back point … quickly converted thanks to another useful return, Alcaraz directing a backhand into the net. I love this match already.
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*Sinner 2-3 Alcaraz Our players fight to 30-all, intensity stratospheric and quality just behind. Alcaraz then whips a forehand return on to the line, backs it up with two more brutes, and when a lob drops wide, he raises another break point, his sixth. Again, the champ looks the better player so far, but again Sinner finds what he needs, eventually leaping to annihilate a forehand winner down the line so terrifyingly hard I moved out of its way. Alcaraz, though, has a forehand of his own, nailing two for advantage, and this time, an error means he forges in front for the first time!
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Sinner 2-2 Alcaraz* I said in the preamble that sport often promises much and delivers less, but it feels impossible for this match to be anything other than gloriously affirming. Meantime, Alcaraz hooks a forehand wide after good work on the backhand from Sinner, then unexpectedly nets a volley; trouble. Not for long, though: we’re soon at 30-all, whereupon the champ creams a backhand winner down the line and we cut immediately to Martina enjoying the brilliance, from the sublime to the sublime. It’s so great to see her in good health, likewise the treat of her in Real Housewives of Miami. Alcaraz closes out, and this is tighter than tefillin.
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Sinner 2-1 Alcaraz* We’re settling into as pattern: the rallies are longish and, so far, tending to be settled by errors not winners. But at 15-all, Alcaraz nails a flat return hammered cross, and though he’s made to play two extra shots, he collars both with as much prejudice as you’d expect … then cracks a backhand down the line to the corner, facilitating the drop before putting away a simple volley. He’s started the better and here come two breaking opportunities. The first is saved, as might’ve been expected, with a booming first serve, the next with a frankly indecent second, arrowed down the T; the confidence to hit it that way tells us plenty about Sinner’s mentality and confidence. A backhand winner then raises advantage before a serve/swing-volley combo-move seals the hold. Already, this is fantastic stuff, every point an occasion.
Sinner 1-1 Alcaraz* Alcaraz fails to put away all he should, allowing Sinner 15-0, , but the retort is swift and we’re soon at 30-all, swapping unforced errors. Alcaarz then nets a backhand, ceding break point in the process; a big serve redeems it and off we go to deuce once more, the task of splitting these two almost beyond the scoring system. Fro there, though, Alcaraz closes out and both men are settling
*Sinner 1-0 Alcaraz (*denotes server) A long rally which Alcaraz wins when Sinner nets, but he then directs a forehand cross into the tape; 15-all. Alcaraz, though, then gets his forehand going, making 15-30, only to then overhit; we wind up at deuce, Sinner saving a break point at 30-40. But up advantage, Sinner slams a forehand into the net, then at deuce swipes a back wide; break point Alcaraz, who steps well into court when there’s a second serve en route. It does him no good, but he soon works another opportunity, stepping inside the baseline and thwacking away with forehands until he makes advantage. Sinner, though, does not panic, lanking in to retrieve a tame drop before flipping a backhand winner down the line; if ever a game augured well, this is it, and eventually Sinner hangs on.
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Ready … play.
Alcaraz wins the toss; he elects to receive.
And here they come!
Each player wears a dreadful Nike collared shirt. No need for it, no need for it at all.
“I am going for an Alcaraz win because it’s in the stars,” says Prakhar Gupta. “Nadal was 22 years one month and three days old when he won his fifth Grand Slam and so is Alcaraz today. I mean what could be more prophetic!!”
Also going on…
It’s going to be cinematic.
We seem to be running a little behind, but we’ll be welcoming our players soon. It’s a little windy and the roof is open; that should favour Alcaraz, as a still atmosphere helps the cleaner, straighter hitter.
I wonder where Alcaraz will stand today. Against Musetti, he was looking to get into court, and he might feel taking the ball early gives him the best chance of breaking even if some service-games pass him by. Or he may slide back a little for a better look.
Sinner reckons Alcaraz is the favourite, but notes he’s improving on clay. He’s moving better and more confident and knows that if he serves well he’s very difficult to beat. If he can get his line forehand going too, he’s almost unbeatable.
“Wondering how the doubles have gone in Paris,” begins Andrew Benton. “The dear old doubles always seems to get scant coverage, but games are so nice to watch.”
I couldn’t agree more. I had the privilege of interviewing Henry Patten a few weeks ago, and that was one of the things he expounded upon.
Henry and Harri went out on the quarters this time – the title went to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos – while Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani won the women’s with Errani and Andrea Vavassori taking the mixed.
“Alcaraz has won every slam final he has played in,” writes Peter Slessenger. Federer won his first seven slam finals. That is quite some target to aim at. Looking forward to the match and hoping for that smile!”
Sinner has too, but both times on hards, whereas Alcaraz’s three have come on the slippier surfaces, clay and grass. He’s the better mover, as we said before, but he doesn’t hit as powerfully or as cleanly, so he’ll need to work angles to prevent the Italian planting his feet and sitting down on his shots.
If we go deep, Alcaraz will be favourite – he’s 12-1 over five-setters, whereas Sinner is 6-9. More than that, though, Sinner is the slight underdog, yet to win this competition so not certain he can. That makes him less likely to come from behind, though of course it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he did because he’s capable of almost anything.
Email from yesterday, via Joel Smith: “I am so disappointed, and frankly angry, at Sabalenka’s extremely ungracious runner up speech at Roland Garros!! So disrespectful to Coco and the occasion.
This is on the heels of Sabalenka smashing her racquets at the Aussie Open after losing to Madison Keys, which was totally unacceptable. Imagine if Serena or Coco behaved this poorly, they’d be castigated as a sore loser so, I hope the press and tennis community doesn’t give Sabalenka a free pass!
Sabalenka acting like she was entitled to this title is so unbecoming and although I like her personality, she about to lose me as a supporter. How dare she ran on this classy young lady’s win.”
I dunno. I know what you mean but I appreciated her honesty – when I watch sport, I want a window into people’s souls a lot more than I want anodyne platitudes. Sabalenka was hurting bad and she told us why and how she planned to handle it; I must prefer that to a taking the positives glib-fest, much as I love and respect Gauff.
TNT have Mac and Chrissy in the studio. You know what? Loz the match, let’s just listen to those two talk tennis for the rest of the afternoon. I’m the right age for this, but imagine being that gifted with a racket in hand, and also this funny, kind, insightful and charismatic.
It’s hard to argue with that isn’t it? And yet I’d still like to have seen better performances from Alcaraz over the fortnight, who was in trouble against Musetti for the best part of two sets. He plays like that today, it’s not close … and yet he’s so good at hitting whatever level he requires to win. Moreover, his win in Rome came in Sinner’s first match tournament back after his drug ban; he’s fitter, sharper and more confident now. Oh man, what a contest we’re in for.
I know we don’t know who’s going to win but … who’s going to win? I’ve been leaning Sinner because his game has the fewer moving parts and he’s in the better form. But Coach Calv, our resident expert, knows plenty more than me ands is backing Alcaraz: “He’s won their last four meetings, won on this court last year, and has a bit more to his game: he moves better, volleys better, and has more change-up – drops, slices,. angles. The game could do with Sinner winning probably, can’t have a rivalry if it’s totally one-sided, though I guess people still talk about Keane-Vieira as a rivalry, even though it wasn’t.”
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Preamble
Salut et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2025 – 15e jour!
We’re all friends here so we can be honest with one another: our lives are predictable, the days passing slowly and the years zipping by in a sapping imposition of the almost-same. The world, so full of fantasy and wonder, so much of it inaccessible to us other than on special occasions.
Which is one place sport comes in. It isn’t always good, far from it, but it sustains us with the prospect of something good; the sense that we don’t know what’s going to happen.
Yet our last two weeks have been building to the inevitability of now. When the men’s tournament started two weeks ago, it felt almost impossible that the final would be between anyone other than Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and that’s exactly what’s happened, Sinner reaching this stage without losing a set and Alcaraz also domineering.
But this is where that ends. We can reason for ourselves which of these two future greats is likely yo be celebrating later on, but we cannot know: these are two supreme and supremely well-matched tennisers. Sinner has the edge in consistency and mentality, Alcaraz in mobility and creativity; Sinner has the higher modal level, Alcaraz the higher top level; Sinner hasn’t lost in 20 grand slam matches and has won 47 of his last 49 matches, but his two defeats came against Alcaraz, the defending champion, who beat him handily on clay just three weeks ago.
Nor is today solely about today. Though this is the pair’s first grand slam final meeting, even now, it seems inconceivable they won’t beat the record of nine heads-to-head held by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Which is to say we are not just about to enjoy something of guaranteed quality, but the start of one of the great sporting rivalries, there to enrich our lacking lives for the next decade and more.
And in making it about ourselves, we can of course do more than just enjoy it, its protagonists believable archetypes and unique presences in whom we can easily see our reflections. Are we reliable, calm and introverted like Sinner, excitable and improvisational gamblers like Alcaraz … or does one represent how we see ourselves, the other how we’d like to see ourselves?
They are here, we are here, everything is here; this is going to be epochal. On y va!
Play: 3pm local, 2pm BST.
