Jannik Sinner had to give way to Carlos Alcaraz. © APA/afp / JULIEN DE ROSA

Heartbreaking defeat: Sinner has to bow to Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner was just one point away from claiming this year's French Open on Saturday. However, the Sexten superstar faced a player who never gave up, who, despite a hopeless deficit, always believed in victory and ultimately achieved it: The player went by the name of Carlos Alcaraz.

June 08, 2025

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have met in finals at every level throughout their careers: from small 250-meter tournaments to the major Masters. What was missing was a meeting in a Grand Slam final. On Sunday, it happened in Paris. And the whole world watched. What the world's best tennis players conjured up on the court was top-class, exciting, and thrilling. And from a South Tyrolean perspective, it was also heartbreaking. After missing three match points, Sinner lost the longest French Open final of all time (5:25 hours) 6:4, 7:6, 4:6, 6:7, and 6:7.

Alcaraz thus lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the second year in a row, while Sinner still has to wait for his first victory in Paris. As much as this defeat will hurt him, the 23-year-old can leave France with his head held high. He has shown that he can win any tournament—even after a three-month break. When the next highlight begins on June 30 at Wimbledon, he will be in contention for the title again.

It starts off cheerfully

Andre Agassi, George Russell, Martina Navratilova, Dustin Hoffman, Pharrell Williams – numerous celebrities didn't miss the spectacle between Sinner and Alcaraz. They witnessed a hard-fought start in which the Spaniard missed five break chances. Only the first three games lasted 24 (!) minutes. With the score at 2:2, the defending champion then pounced and broke the Sextner's serve. The South Tyrolean didn't let himself be defeated; on the contrary: he bounced back with a rebreak before moving to 4:3 and creating chances to make it 5:3. But Alcaraz held on – not least thanks to his incredible forehand.

With Sinner leading 5-4, there was a strange interruption: The man from Murcia had to seek treatment for what appeared to be sand in his eye. When the match resumed, Alcaraz had lost his focus. Three unforced errors gave the No. 1 a set point, which he promptly converted. At Grand Slam level, it was Sinner's 30th consecutive set win – an incredible achievement.

With a set lead behind him, Sinner grew even more confident, while Alcaraz's doubts grew. When he conceded another break in his first service game, he gestured wildly towards the box. His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who triumphed at the 2003 French Open and is known for his verbal, proactive coaching, took no notice of the complaints. Sinner was now playing brilliantly, but at 1-4 down he made a few errors at crucial moments. Instead of claiming the second break of the set, Alcaraz reduced the deficit to 2-4. Shortly after, the Spaniard came close to 3-4, but his second serve returns left a lot to be desired.

Incredible tension

When Sinner served at 5-3 for a 2-0 set lead, he suffered the same fate as against Djokovic. He failed to get any of his first serves in, and Alcaraz sensed a chance, clawed back the break, and quickly leveled at 5-5. At precisely this moment, when Sinner had his back against the wall, he played a perfect service game with some impressive points. A short time later, Alcaraz secured the tiebreak, with both players playing with great concentration. Sinner secured the first point against the server thanks to a fantastic forehand. He grabbed a second mini-break after a sly Alcaraz stop. Shortly thereafter, the South Tyrolean sealed the deal.

Jannik Sinner gave everything. © ANSA / CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

Right at the start of the third set, Sinner hit the home stretch with a break. Instead of pulling away, he conceded two unnecessary breaks, especially since he was already leading 30-0 and 40-15 in those games. Suddenly, the Spaniard was leading 4-1. Anyone who thought this set wouldn't bring a dramatic turnaround was mistaken. A brilliant game gave Sinner the break to make it 4-5. The Sextner's hopes of extending the set were short-lived, however, as Alcaraz struck back immediately – 6-4 for the Spaniard.

Sinner could have made a significant statement at 1-1 in the fourth set, but Alcaraz remained alert on a break point and landed a backhand winner. Both players now threw everything into the mix, treating the fans on Court Philippe-Chatrier to some great tennis. Sinner, in particular, now soared to otherworldly heights. He sprinted cat-like from side to side, simultaneously placing his shots into the corners with millimeter precision. The result? The break to 4-3.

Sinner comes back

And that wasn't enough: He won 15 of 16 points, resulting in three match points. To the chagrin of Sinner's mother, who was trembling and suffering in the box, the Spaniard nullified all three. And then, with the support of the fans, he broke the Sextner. The match went to a tiebreak again. Alcaraz converted a 0-2 deficit into a 4-2 lead with two aces. Sinner looked battered, carelessly missed a return, and found himself in a deciding set after more than four hours.

A phenomenon: Carlos Alcaraz © APA/afp / ALAIN JOCARD

The match began with the worst-case scenario – a break in favor of Alcaraz. Although the tournament's number 2 had been on court for around two hours longer, he appeared fresher, with clearer ideas. Sinner quickly recovered from his false start and created chances for a re-break. Alcaraz remained cool and served for the match after more than five hours. Sinner showed all his character, running out of a perfect Alcaraz break at 15:40, breaking, and shortly after making it 6:5. The ensuing game was hard to beat in terms of tension, but the defending champion saved himself by winning the match tiebreak thanks to some trick shots.

Alcaraz's efforts worked out perfectly, resulting in a 7-0 victory. Sinner, seeing his chances slipping away, tried everything to pull off the miracle, but ultimately had to concede the victory to his opponent. The latter collapsed to the ground before he and Sinner fell into each other's arms. It was the image of the day and one that will go down in history.