Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion, recently opened up about his dramatic victory over Jannik Sinner in the 2025 French Open final, a match that left the Italian world No. 1 devastated. Speaking to The Times on August 1, 2025, ahead of the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz described the emotional intensity of their five-set epic on June 8, 2025, saying, “I knew I broke Jannik’s heart in Paris. It was a tough one for him, leading by two sets and match points. But that’s tennis—you fight until the last point. I just kept believing.” The 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win marked Alcaraz’s second consecutive French Open title, cementing his clay-court dominance and extending his head-to-head lead over Sinner to 8-5.
The match, lasting five hours and 29 minutes, was a rollercoaster. Sinner, who held three match points in the fourth set, appeared poised to claim his third Grand Slam of 2025, having already won the Australian Open. Alcaraz, however, staged a stunning comeback, leveraging his unpredictable shot-making and mental resilience. A pivotal moment came when Alcaraz’s audacious lob clipped the sideline, saving a match point, as noted in The Telegraph. Sinner, visibly shaken, later admitted to Tennis TV that he “stayed there mentally” but was disappointed to miss his chances, adding, “Carlos was just better at finding a way to win”.
Alcaraz reflected on the psychological toll, saying, “We push each other to the limit. I saw him struggling after the fourth set, but I had to stay focused. It’s not personal—it’s about wanting to win.” Sinner’s emotional response was evident as he reportedly cried for 15 minutes in the locker room, per Express.co.uk, partly due to crowd favoritism toward Alcaraz, which frustrated his team. Despite the heartbreak, Sinner rebounded, defeating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) on July 13, 2025, snapping a five-match losing streak and claiming his first Wimbledon title as the first Italian singles champion.
Their rivalry, described by Alcaraz as a “beautiful relationship” off-court in a Financial Times interview, has defined men’s tennis, with the duo splitting the last seven Grand Slams. Alcaraz acknowledged Sinner’s role in his growth, stating, “He makes me better every time we play. That Paris match showed me I can come back from anything.” As both prepare for the Cincinnati Open (August 7-18), where Sinner defends his title and Alcaraz seeks his first, their iconic French Open clash remains a testament to their competitive fire and mutual respect, with Alcaraz’s comeback etching a painful but pivotal moment in Sinner’s 2025 journey.
