“I never doubted myself”- Carlos Alcaraz gets honest about his mindset during ‘difficult’ battle with Jannik Sinner in French Open final
Alcaraz’s Unshakable Belief Fuels Epic French Open 2025 Final Win Over Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz revealed his unwavering self-belief was key to his dramatic 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory over Jannik Sinner in the French Open 2025 men’s final on June 8, a grueling five-hour, 29-minute battle—the longest Roland Garros final ever. Facing three championship points down at 3-5, 0-40 in the fourth set, Alcaraz told The Guardian, “I just believed all the time. I never doubted myself, even in those match points down,” emphasizing his mantra that “the match is not finished until he wins the last point.”[](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jun/08/carlos-alcaraz-the-match-is-not-finished-until-he-wins-the-last-point)
The 22-year-old Spaniard, trailing by two sets and battling Sinner’s relentless baseline precision, drew inspiration from Rafael Nadal’s legendary comebacks, saying post-match to France TV Sport, “When I was feeling worse, I had no more strength, I tried to think about Rafa, about all the comebacks he made.” Alcaraz’s mental resilience shone as he saved the match points with disciplined shot-making, including a searing forehand winner, and broke Sinner’s serve to shift momentum, per The Athletic.
In his victory speech, Alcaraz called the match “one of the best finals in the history of a Grand Slam,” acknowledging Sinner’s “insane” level, per BBC Sport. He told reporters, “I had to fight all the time. I had to believe all the time in myself,” even when Sinner’s early 66% first-serve point win rate and 30 consecutive Grand Slam set wins seemed insurmountable. His focus on “one point at a time” and fearless shot-making, like a running forehand in the final tiebreak, secured his fifth Grand Slam and a 9-4 head-to-head lead over Sinner, per ATPTour.com.
Alcaraz’s mindset, refusing to waver despite “difficult” moments, cemented his status as a “real champion,” as he said on X via @TheNamibian, thriving under pressure to defend his Roland Garros crown.[
