Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images

Toni Nadal reveals mistake that cost Jannik Sinner the French Open title

Originally posted on HITC | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 10:50 AM ET

Jannik Sinner fell short in his first French Open final earlier this month, a match that slipped away long before Carlos Alcaraz lifted the trophy.

Despite what the scorecard shows, the world number one had the title within reach. Sinner led by two sets and served for the match. But Alcaraz completed a remarkable comeback, winning 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 to claim his second Roland Garros crown.

He became the first player to dethrone Sinner as the world number one on French clay.

While Sinner’s team could only offer applause for a valiant effort, Toni Nadal thinks there was one message he should have heard from his players’ box.

Jannik Sinner told to ‘calm down’ told to by his box during the Roland Garros final

During an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Nadal suggested what Sinner’s team could have done differently in Paris from what they played now.

“It was a very hard defeat. Jannik lacked a bit of calm at the most important moment. Maybe his box should have told him ‘calm down,’” he said.

It’s easy to see how “calm down” might have been the right advice at 5-3 in the fourth set, with Sinner holding three championship points. Even now, he’ll want a few of those decisions back, especially after playing so much of the final in control.

But Sinner didn’t respond to the moment, while Alcaraz ended up with the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the second time in three years.

Sinner has had time to process that defeat now, and an early loss in Halle only added another question mark before Wimbledon.

But Toni Nadal doesn’t believe the defeat in Paris carried over to grass.

Toni Nadal thinks Jannik Sinner will bounce back at Wimbledon

Sinner had a different team, a different surface, and a different opponent in Germany.

Nadal explained that while the pressure of being world number one brings new challenges, Sinner’s recent results — including two finals since returning from his break — shouldn’t be overlooked.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

“Maybe Sinner still lacks a bit of consistency after the break, but let’s not forget that he has reached two finals, a Masters 1000 and a Slam since he came back,” Nadal said.

“I don’t think this defeat on grass will undermine his path at Wimbledon or the rest of the season. Sinner will start again from here.”

Last year, Alcaraz lost early at Queen’s Club before winning Wimbledon, and Novak Djokovic won multiple times without playing a single grass-court warm-up.

Sinner will turn his attention to the grass courts of SW19, where he can quickly silence any doubts by playing the kind of tennis that has already made him the world’s best.

The 2025 Wimbledon tournament is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 30.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: