Sport is notorious for hyping up its future stars or significant events and tennis is no exception.
Heading into Sunday’s French Open final, many were dreaming of a memorable encounter between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The two highest-ranked players in men’s tennis. Their ATP Tour rivalry began at the 2021 Paris Masters but as they both moved up the ranks, the expectations increased. Especially when the former heavyweights of the men’s Tour – Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – all retired. Although Novak Djokovic is still going strong at the age of 38.
There was a period when there was genuine concern that the exit of the big names could leave a massive hole in the sport. Alcaraz and Sinner have already illustrated their talents on the Tour, but it was their latest clash in Paris which proved that the future is bright.
For five-and-a-half hours fans around the world were heavily invested in what was one of the most dramatic Grand Slam finals in recent years. Carlos Alcaraz’s incredible win over his Italian rival was something special. Somehow he came back from a two-set deficit, a break down in the third set, saving three match points in the fourth set and was then broken when serving for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set. It was a lesson in why you should never give up.
“I had to fight all the time. I had to believe all the time in myself,” said Alcaraz.
“Honestly when he broke my serve at the beginning of the third set, I felt like everything was in his favor. I felt like everything he was doing was going to be in. He was going to make winners, not mistakes.
“That was my feeling at the beginning of the third set. I tried to delete those thoughts from my mind and just keep going.
“There were a few corners of the crowd that were really, really helpful for me, which I appreciate. Probably without them, it would have been impossible to come back.”
The encounter was a physical test for both but Alcaraz points out that his mentality was just as important.
“Today was all about believing in myself. I never doubted myself and I try to go for it. That’s why I saw my best tennis in crucial moments, and that’s why I saw my best tennis in those difficult situations.” He said.
Of course, it wasn’t a flawless match in terms of tennis played but considering it lasted more than five hours it is understandable. Both produced more unforced errors than winners but the biggest criticism is directed at Sinner for not capitalizing on his chances.
“In Grand Slams you try to start from zero again,” Sinner explains.
“I was disappointed about the fourth set and match points and serving for the match. But I stayed there mentally.
“I didn’t give him (Alcaraz) any free points. When it was over, it was over. That’s a different feeling, different things coming through your mind.”
Sinner, whose last three losses on the Tour have all been against Alcaraz, takes some comfort in being part of one of the most memorable matches. However, he argues that comparing his rivalries with others in the past can’t be done due to how tennis has evolved over the years in terms of speed.
“I was lucky enough to play against Novak, against Rafa. In Grand Slams Roger I never played, unfortunately. Beating these guys, it takes a lot,” he said.
“I have the same feeling with Carlos and some other players.
“It’s good to see that we can produce tennis like this because I think it’s good for the whole movement of tennis and the crowd. It was a good atmosphere and also to be part of it, it’s very special.”
So what happens next? Should we expect the Alcaraz-Sinner showdowns to be more intense in the future or was Paris a one-off?
Juan Carlos Ferrero is the long-time coach of Alcaraz who lifted the French Open trophy himself back in 2003. In his view, he believes the two tennis stars will encourage each other to elevate their game.
“Having these two guys fighting for big trophies, I think we have to be very happy about it in the sport of tennis,” said Ferrero.
“For them, It’s something that they raise their level every time that they go on the court. They know they have to play unbelievable tennis to beat the other guy, and it’s something that is going to help each player to raise the level even more.”
Due to the brutality of the tennis season, it may not be long before the rivalry is resumed. The next stop is on grass with Wimbledon beginning on June 30th. Can Alcaraz maintain his winning run against Sinner or will the Italian find a way to get revenge?
Hopefully, it won’t be too long until the next instalment.
