Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner Take Rivalry From French Open To Wimbledon

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Last Updated:June 10, 2025, 10:52 IST

Roger Federer predicted someone would win major after major as he, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic did. He just didn’t know there would be a Big Two doing it.

Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz pose after an epic French Open final. (AP Photo)

The takeaways from Carlos Alcaraz’s fifth-set tiebreaker victory over Jannik Sinner in the thrilling and record-breaking French Open men’s final were numerous and significant.

Firstly, anyone concerned about the future of men’s tennis post-Big Three era can relax. Alcaraz and Sinner provided 5 1/2 hours of proof on Sunday that the sport is in capable hands and that their rivalry is, and perhaps already is, a remarkable one.

Take it from Roger Federer, the retired champion with 20 Grand Slam titles and a rival of Rafael Nadal (22 majors) and Novak Djokovic (24). He stated in a social media post, “3 winners in Paris today," then listed Alcaraz, Sinner and “the beautiful game of tennis. What a match!"

No. 1 Sinner and No. 2 Alcaraz may renew their rivalry at Wimbledon This was the 12th meeting between Alcaraz and Sinner, and the first in a major final.

“Hopefully not the last time," Alcaraz said. “Every time that we face … each other, we raise our level to the top."

It would be surprising if there weren’t many more encounters to come — possibly as soon as Wimbledon, where play begins on June 30 and No. 2-ranked Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion.

His comeback against No. 1 Sinner from two sets down and three championship points down to win 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) was unprecedented at Roland-Garros. It was unforgettable. Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, described his player’s best trait this way: “His strength is (to) keep believing all the time, until the last ball is gone."

Alcaraz’s five Grand Slam titles at 22 — the same age at which Nadal, Bjorn Borg, and Pete Sampras also reached five; no one has done it younger — show how special he is. So does the Spaniard’s 5-0 record in major finals, a career start surpassed among men only by Federer’s 7-0.

Sinner is impressive too. Tuesday marks a full year that he has been ranked No.1. He has reached the finals of his last eight tournaments, a feat last achieved by Djokovic a decade ago. He has won three majors and 47 of his last 50 matches.

Notably, all three of those losses came against Alcaraz. This is reminiscent of the days when Federer would beat everyone except Nadal.

Sinner had claimed 31 Slam sets in a row until the moment he was up 2-0 against Alcaraz.

What was unmistakable to anyone watching in-person at Court Philippe-Chatrier or following along on TV is that Alcaraz vs. Sinner is a must-see.

“The level," Alcaraz said, “was insane."

Sinner’s take?

“I’m happy to be part of this," the 23-year-old Italian said. “Would be even more happy if I would have … the big trophy."

As with any great rivalry — think Evert vs. Navratilova, Borg vs. McEnroe, or Federer vs. Nadal, no first names needed — Alcaraz vs. Sinner offers a clash of excellence and a study in contrasts.

Alcaraz shows emotion, pumping his fists, pointing to his ear to ask for more noise, yelling “Vamos!" Sinner is more contained. Sinner’s long limbs get him to nearly every ball. Alcaraz’s speed is unmatched. Sinner’s ball-striking is pure. Alcaraz’s drop shots are legendary. Both hit groundstrokes that leave opponents exasperated and spectators awestruck.

Both can improve. Sinner has never won a match that lasted four hours. Alcaraz sometimes loses focus.

Both are eager to improve. When Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban last month, he introduced a new, angled return stance. Alcaraz adjusted his serve and backhand technique.

Who knows what heights each can reach? They’ve split the past six Slam trophies and eight of the past 11.

Federer foresaw this.

During an interview with The Associated Press in December 2019, Federer predicted someone would win major after major as he, Nadal, and Djokovic did. He just didn’t know there would be a Big Two doing it.

“It’s going to happen, inevitably," Federer said. “And it’s almost not going to be that hard, maybe … because the players will have seen what we did. And they didn’t see just one guy doing it, once every 30 years. They saw like three guys doing it, in the shortest period of time. … Players are going to believe more."

With AP Inputs

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