'It takes time' - Andy Murray disagrees that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could defeat prime Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros

The men's final at the 2025 French Open produced a match for the ages, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz producing some of the best tennis over the last decade. Following the match, several pundits claimed either of the duo could defeat a young Rafale Nadal at the Parisian Grand Slam, but retired British star Andy Murray does not believe this to be true.

Defending French Open champion Alcaraz rallied from two sets to love down to defeat Sinner, ending the World No.1's dreams of winning his first Roland Garros title. The five-set drama saw both men produce exceptional shot-making, as each athlete battled to leave with the title. However, it was the Spaniard who prevailed in a fifth set tiebreak to win his fifth Grand Slam title.

Murray would like fans to refrain from making early comparisons

Following the epic battle, several fans and pundits proclaimed the duo could challenge and even defeat 14-time champion Nadal during his prime at the French Open. Retired American tennis star Andre Agassi chimed in, adding more fuel to the fire. During the TNT broadcast after the match, Agassi backed both Sinner and Alcaraz to defeat Nadal "at his best" in Paris.

However, Murray was quick to counter the argument, saying fans were enthralled due to recency bias. The three-time Grand Slam champion praised both competitors, but stated the two still had a lot to prove.

"The sport's in a really good place but it's important not to forget what the guys have done before them, what Roger, Rafa and Novak have done," said Murray at the Queen's Club Championships. "Winning 20-plus majors is something exceptional and it's easy in today's age to forget a little bit about that. I saw some pundits saying if [Alcaraz and Sinner] went on court against Rafa at the French Open, they would be favorites going into that match with Rafa in his prime.

"Alcaraz and Sinner are on the path to being two of the best, no doubt about that, but it takes time to build what Roger, Rafa, and Novak had. We'll see whether they get that.
"They're both brilliant athletes and very different personalities, which I think for fans is really exciting. Moving forward, men's tennis is in a great place. People always worry at the end of a generation of players what's going to happen with the sport next, but generally sports continue to evolve and, in most cases, improve. From what I've been told, it was one of the best finals for a long time."