'I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him' Carlos Alcaraz reflects on epic Roland Garros comeback against Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz recalled the Roland Garros final, where he won the title against Jannik Sinner after saving three match points. The world No. 2 won his fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open in a match that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes, with the final set decided by a 10-point super tiebreak, with a final score of 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6[10-2].

After the grass season, the Spanish player is currently on a short break and has decided to skip the Canadian Open. He is extending his stay in Spain to take physical precautions. Alcaraz is expected to return at the Cincinnati Open—where he reached the final in 2023—which will be his only hardcourt tournament before the start of the US Open.

This will also be his first rematch with Sinner since the Wimbledon final loss. The world No. 1 got revenge for what happened in Paris, ending Alcaraz’s 24-match winning streak since April and his 20 consecutive victories at Wimbledon, where he was the two-time defending champion.

"I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him"

After a three-month suspension in the midst of a doping controversy, Sinner returned to the courts and faced Alcaraz in his very first tournament back: the final in Rome. Alcaraz, who came into the match with a 14-1 record on clay courts, took the victory with a 7-6, 6-1 win on a surface that is more natural for the Spaniard.

A few weeks later, the Philippe Chatrier court was the new stage for the Roland Garros final. Sinner reached the final once again—in his second tournament after three months of inactivity—and took a two-sets-to-love lead. However, the rest is history, with an epic comeback in one of the most hotly contested Grand Slam finals ever. It ended with Alcaraz defending his title in a super tiebreak.

In the fourth set, Alcaraz was serving at 0-40, but he saved all three of the match points he faced and took control of the match from there. “I simply thought about coming back little by little: one point, then another point, then another point, especially those three points,” the former No. 1 said. “Closing a Grand Slam is very, very difficult, so I knew that I would have chances. That’s why I stayed calm. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him.”

Alcaraz currently has titles at the US Open (2022), Wimbledon (2023, 2024), and the French Open (2024, 2025). He only needs to win the Australian Open to complete a Career Grand Slam. Meanwhile, Sinner has won the Australian Open (2024, 2025), Wimbledon (2025), and the US Open (2024), and only needs to win Roland Garros to complete the same feat.

Men’s who completed the Career Grand Slam:

• Andre Agassi (1992-94-95-99)

• Roger Federer (2003-04-09)

• Rafael Nadal (2005-08-09-10)

• Novak Djokovic (2008-11-16)

The New Rivalry

The Sinner and Alcaraz rivalry has taken over the two decades dominated by the Big Three. While Alcaraz won his fifth major title in Paris in early June, a month later it was Sinner who claimed his fourth major title, defeating Alcaraz in the final.

The rivalry had its 13th match at SW19 (Wimbledon), with Sinner breaking a streak of five consecutive losses against the Spaniard and winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. “I thoroughly enjoyed competing at Wimbledon again. It’s a special place. I look forward to coming back next year, but after recharging the batteries, the work starts for the forthcoming US Open swing.”

The head-to-head record now stands at 8-5 in favor of Alcaraz, but with the start of the hardcourt swing—a surface that is more natural for Sinner—things could get even tighter. “Tennis has always had great rivalries and great players,” the five-time Grand Slam champion commented. “It’s a privilege that people look at our games that way, with such enthusiasm.”