Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz defends his French Open title with one of tennis’s greatest comebacks against Jannik Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) in an all-time classic win at the French Open – a title the Spaniard won for a second straight year.

Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam tournament in as many finals, produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament.

It was even better than his performance here last year, when he came back from 2-1 down in sets in the final against Alexander Zverev. This time, Alcaraz emulated Novak Djokovic’s feat from the 2021 final at Roland-Garros, when the now 24-time major winner fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I’m just proud. I’m just really, really happy,” Alcaraz said after the match on Sunday before praising Sinner. “I know how hard you are chasing this tournament. You’re going to be champion, not once, but many, many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making this story with you.”

It was the first time that Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final, but the fifth time in succession he has now lost to Alcaraz, who clinched the 20th tennis title of his career at the age of 22.

It was also the longest-ever French Open final — 5 hours, 29 minutes — in the Open Era.

After 3 hours, 43 minutes, Sinner had his first match point. But with just over five hours since the match began, Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 up.

The drama was still not over.

Sinner made a remarkable retrieve from yet another superb Alcaraz drop shot. At the very limit he could stretch to, Sinner glided the ball over the net, with the ball landing with the softness of an autumn leaf and out of Alcaraz’s reach to make it 15-40.

When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, it was his turn to milk the applause and he was two points away from victory in the 12th game, with Alcaraz on serve and at 15-30 and at deuce.

But Alcaraz made a staggering cross-court backhand to make it 6-6 and force a tie-breaker, with the crowd going wild when Alcaraz’s cross-court winner made it 4-0.

Sinner could not find a way back, and Alcaraz won the match with a superb forehand pass down the line and then fell onto his back to celebrate. Then he rushed over to dance and hug the team members in his box.

“I’m very happy for you, and you deserve it, so congrats,” the 23-year-old Sinner told Alcaraz. ”It’s an amazing trophy, so I won’t sleep tonight very well, but it’s OK.”

The first Grand Slam showpiece between the two dominant players on the ATP Tour had been a tantalising prospect – and it surpassed the hype.

Both Alcaraz and Sinner pushed themselves – and each other – to the limit in a classic contest that showcased all of their shot-making, athleticism and resilience.

Their fascinating rivalry is quickly turning into an enduring duel that could transcend the sport.

It has all the facets – the core talent, gripping encounters on the biggest stages and the blend of personalities.

Alcaraz, with his swashbuckling style, passion and infectious smile, has long been a box-office star who engages millions of fans.

In the toughest moments of the battle against Sinner, he continued to play with freedom – perhaps too much for his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero – and demanded more noise from the Paris crowd.

They loudly responded as Alcaraz demonstrated the heart and courage – along with explosive returns and deft hand skills – for which he has become known and revered.

The majority of the 15,000 fans were jumping to their feet after every point in a thrilling finale, where both players continued to execute top-quality shots that often defied belief.

Alcaraz flew out of the blocks in the first-to-10 match tie-break of the deciding set, sapping every last bit of Sinner’s energy before sealing victory with a remarkable running forehand winner that fizzed down the line.

He fell flat on his back before Sinner trudged around the net for a warm, heartfelt embrace.

Alcaraz somehow found the energy to sprint off court, climbing up the stands to celebrate with 2003 French Open winner Ferrero, the rest of his team and his family.

Both players were given rapturous rounds of applause as they collected their trophies after the second longest major final in history.

JANNIK SINNER paid for WRONGLY awarding Carlos Alcaraz a point in their sensational French Open final.

Poland’s World No.1 sportingly but incorrectly told the umpire an Alcaraz forehand was in – only for replays to show it went LONG.

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The Spaniard had earlier saved THREE Championship points in that fourth set.

And Alcaraz went on to complete a comeback of incredible quality, winning 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 in five hours and 29 minutes.

Unlike the three other Grand Slam tournaments, Roland Garros does NOT use HawkEye technology to check line calls.

And midway through the final set Sinner looked frustrated when an Alcaraz shot was called in – with replays suggesting it 31mm out.

And although fans praised Sinner for his sportsmanship in the fourth, many viewers blasted the French Open for being stuck in their ways.

The tight line call came when Alacaraz served to go 6-5 up in the fourth.

Line judges called it out and the chair umpire got down from her seat to examine the mark.

But as she strode quickly across the court, Sinner signalled  he thought the ball was good.

She immediately acknowledged that with a raised hand and returned to her seat.

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However, freeze-frame replays  of the incident suggest the ball had clearly landed beyond the baseline.

And that led to observers hailing both players for the spirit in which they played such a gripping contest, but also questioning the tournament for snubbing HawkEye.

One fan said: “They are both acting like saints here.”

Another described them as “class acts all around”.

A third posted: “So nice to see some civility in the world!”

And a fourth wrote: “That is why they are 2 favourites.”

But another moaned: “So many missed called because they refuse to use technology. Joke of a tourny .”

And another viewer said: “Honestly thought it looked clearly out at full speed. A number of very questionable calls at the end of that set…”

Around 90 minutes after the line shout, Alcaraz clinched his victory from two sets down with a dominant 10-2 Championship tie-break in the fifth.

PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) on Sunday and retain his French Open title for a second straight year.

Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam tournament in as many finals, produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament.

It was the first time that Sinner had lost a Grand Slam final.

It was also the longest-ever French Open final — 5 hours, 29 minutes — in the Open Era.

After 3 hours, 43 minutes, Sinner had his first match point. But with just over five hours since the match began, Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 up.

The drama was still not over.

Sinner made a remarkable retrieve from yet another superb Alcaraz drop shot. At the very limit he could stretch to, Sinner glided the ball over the net, with the ball landing with the softness of an autumn leaf and out of Alcaraz’s reach to make it 15-40.

When Sinner won the game to make it 5-5, it was his turn to milk the applause and he was two points away from victory in the 12th game, with Alcaraz on serve and at 15-30 and at deuce.

But Alcaraz made a staggering cross-court backhand to make it 6-6 and force a tiebreaker, with the crowd going wild when Alcaraz’s cross-court winner made it 4-0.

Sinner could not find a way back and Alcaraz won the match with a superb forehand pass down the line and then fell onto his back to celebrate.

Sinner* 6-4 7-6 4-6 6-7 1-3 Alcaraz

His arms must feel so heavy after virtually four-and-a-half hours on court but Alcaraz shows superb touch with the nifty drop shot – and Sinner does not run for it.

Literally a carbon copy in the second point. Again Sinner does not chase it down – that is very, very telling.

He has been running those down for the whole match until now.

Have his legs gone?

He is really struggling to move and it is Alcaraz that is deciding which way the points go – winners, errors or forcing Sinner into mistakes.

After going down 40-30, Sinner lets out some emotion towards his team – that is the first sign of any frustration he has allowed out.

But fast forward a couple of minutes and Sinner has a break point… surely he can’t can he?

Alcaraz kicks in a second serve and brushes the winner away.

Oh my word – how has he pulled that drop shot off? That is staggering from Alcaraz as he cuts a forehand just over the net and though Sinner chases it down, it is simply too good.

But back comes the Italian to deuce before two serves clip the net and go out – not the time for a double fault!

Huge from Alcaraz to go on the offensive and save it in style.

Sinner mishits a return and has a small outburst of anger – and he will be seething inside as Alcaraz eventually holds after nearly ten minutes with a forehand winner.

Following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal as the second Spaniard to reach five major men’s singles finals, Alcaraz could emulate his childhood hero by winning his fifth major at the exact same age: 22 years, one month and three days.

The two-time Wimbledon champion has taken just 82 matches to reach 70 wins at slams – quicker than all but Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who took 81.

He improved his record on clay this season to 21 wins in 22 matches – including title wins in Monte Carlo and Rome – after Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury when trailing in their semi-final.

“Most of the time it is just about suffering,” Alcaraz said when asked what it would take to beat either Sinner or Djokovic after winning Friday’s first semi-final.

“But my favourite thing is that it gives me the feedback of how I can be a better player.

“I think that’s important, and that’s beautiful. Even if I win or not, it gives you a lot of stats and feedback.”

On Sinner, he added: “He’s the best tennis player right now. I mean, he’s destroying every opponent.”

PARIS — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) on Friday to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic is the men’s record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner’s relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.

Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury.

Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth.

Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net.

“These are rare and special moments,” Sinner said. “I’m very happy.”

He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the U.S. Open and the Australian Open.

Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final, and eighth in Paris, where he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windshield wiper.

A cross-court two-handed backhand winner from Sinner in the ninth game of the third set was executed with such pure timing that it drew applause even from Djokovic.

Sinner gave him almost no chances, but there was a glimmer of light in the 10th game, when Djokovic had four chances to break Sinner’s serve.

The crowd broke out into prolonged chants of “Nole! Nole!” as Djokovic forced two break points at 15-40.

Sinner saved both. Tensions were rising.

The crowd started self-policing when a couple of rowdy fans shouted out as Sinner prepared to serve, telling the offenders to “Chut!” (the French for shush).

Djokovic’s forehand landed wide on his third break-point chance making it deuce. The chair umpire Damien Dumusois came down to check the mark. Djokovic disagreed and walked over, saying “It’s on the line.” Then Sinner came to the net and had a brief discussion with Djokovic, who lost the point but won the next with an overhead smash for a fourth set point, saved again by Sinner.

In the first semifinal, Alcaraz acknowledged it was a tough way for Musetti to lose.

“It’s not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player,” Alcaraz said. “I wish him all the best, and wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him soon on the court.”

Musetti had treatment on the inside of his left thigh late in the third set and then again before the fourth.

He was 5-0 down after 16 minutes of the third set when he called for a trainer. Alcaraz broke Musetti in the next game to clinch the set in 21 minutes, winning 24 of 29 points.

Musetti was clearly hindered in his movements and called for the trainer again. After Alcaraz broke his serve to lead 2-0, Musetti walked slowly up to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz.

“I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind, and definitely was going worse and worse, so I decided to stop,” Musetti said. “I think was the right decision to make, even if it was not what I wanted. Tomorrow I will do exams.”

Jannik Sinner downs Novac Djokovic to reach maiden French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic is the men’s record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner’s relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Friday evening.

Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.

Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury.

Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth.

Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net.

“These are rare and special moments,” Sinner said. “I’m very happy.”

He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches after winning the US Open and the Australian Open.

Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final, and eighth in Paris, where he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper.

A cross-court two-handed backhand winner from Sinner in the ninth game of the third set was executed with such pure timing that it drew applause even from Djokovic.

Sinner gave him almost no chances, but there was a glimmer of light in the 10th game, when Djokovic had four chances to break Sinner’s serve.

The crowd broke out into prolonged chants of “Nole! Nole!” as Djokovic forced two break points at 15-40.

Sinner saved both. Tensions were rising.

The crowd started self-policing when a couple of rowdy fans shouted out as Sinner prepared to serve, telling the offenders to “Chut!” (French for shush).

Djokovic’s forehand landed wide on his third break-point chance, making it deuce. The chair umpire, Damien Dumusois, came down to check the mark. Djokovic disagreed and walked over, saying, “It’s on the line.”

Then Sinner came to the net and had a brief discussion with Djokovic, who lost the point but won the next with an overhead smash for a fourth set point, saved again by Sinner.

While age is clearly catching up on Djokovic, his insatiable appetite for Grand Slam success shows no signs of slowing down.

A patchy season by his lofty standards has led to questions about his stamina and motivation, while the departure of rival-turned-coach Andy Murray from his team also indicated things were not functioning as he hoped.

But when the major tournaments come around, Djokovic is always still primed to challenge in the latter stages.

In Melbourne, he defied the odds to beat Alcaraz and reach the semi-finals, although the physical exertions led to a hamstring tear which meant he had to retire injured against Zverev in the last-four encounter.

Nevertheless, it showed he still had the desire and capability to beat the younger generation over the five-set format.

“I think the win against Alcaraz and against Zverev tonight proves to myself and others that I can still play at the highest level,” Djokovic said.

“I just thrive on these occasions. This is where I lock in and really give my best.”

Zverev, 28, was once part of the first crop expected to replace Djokovic, Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

This defeat was another illustration of how the German is often unable to problem-solve against Djokovic, who won four of his eight break points.

Often accused of being too passive, Zverev was rooted deep behind the baseline for much of the contest and paid the price as Djokovic took control with his craftmanship.

With belief or focus rarely wavering, the Serb started dictating the patterns of play and used the drop shot effectively to unsettle Zverev.

When the three-time Grand Slam runner-up finally thought his chance of a comeback had arrived midway through the fourth set, he was denied in arguably the point of the tournament.

Djokovic showed all his elasticity and endurance to stop Zverev putting the set back on serve.

It enabled Djokovic to serve out victory after three hours and 17 minutes as another deft drop shot, fittingly, caught out Zverev again.

Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev to set up a French Open semifinal showdown with Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros.

A crucial moment arrived more than two and a half hours into Novak Djokovic’s French Open quarterfinal victory over Alexander Zverev. It was the fourth set, and Djokovic led, but Zverev was in possession of a break point and a chance to get back into the match.

They engaged in a 41-stroke exchange, the longest of a buggy and breezy Wednesday night, and Djokovic came out on top, smacking a forehand winner. He stayed in place afterwards, breathing heavily, with hands on his hips, scanning the standing ovation from thousands of Court Philippe-Chatrier spectators.

Djokovic might be 38 now. He might have slogged through a pair of three-match losing skids this season and slid to sixth in the rankings. What has not changed is Djokovic’s determination or his ability to be his best on big stages — and now he is two wins from a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic proved too much for third seed Zverev, a man who’s a decade younger and was last year’s runner-up at Roland-Garros, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal showdown against top-seeded Jannik Sinner.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sinner continued his overpowering run through the bracket by dismissing Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. Sinner has not only not dropped a set so far, but he has ceded a total of only 36 games through five matches.

So Friday will bring a tantalising showdown between the player many consider the top player in tennis history, Djokovic, and the player who is at the top of the men’s game at the moment, Sinner. Djokovic and Sinner are tied 4-4 in their head-to-head series, but Sinner has won the last three matchups.

No one has spent more weeks at number one in the rankings than Djokovic. No one has won more major championships or reached more major semifinals than his total that now stands at 51 after becoming the second-oldest man to get that far in Paris.

Sinner, 23, is a three-time Grand Slam champion. That includes last year’s US Open and this year’s Australian Open, so his unbeaten streak at majors is now at 19 matches. He’s also won his last 26 sets at those events.

“He’s playing fast. He’s playing smart,” Bublik said. “He’s in another dimension with all the aspects of the game.”

Having saved three early break points in a cagey opener, Sinner was gifted the first set in an error-strewn service game from 75th-ranked Rinderknech, a backhand planted into the net on Sinner’s first set point sending the Italian on his way.

He broke at the second time of asking in the fourth game of the second set and eased through its remainder, dropping just a solitary point on serve.

But his game temporarily crumbled in the third set as Rinderknech, buoyed by a partisan crowd in his home capital, won the opening four games to take a commanding lead.

Normality soon resumed however as Sinner fought back to cancel out Rinderknech’s break points, puncturing the atmosphere on the showcase court.

From there he barely gave his opponent another sniff of a chance. Piling the pressure on the Frenchman’s racquet, Sinner went a break up and sealed the match with a fierce serve Rinderknech, 29, could do little to match.

Sinner will play French veteran Richard Gasquet in the second round.

Former top 10 player Gasquet, 38, is playing the final tournament of his career at Roland Garros and beat compatriot and fellow wildcard Terence Atmane in his opening match.

Sinner won his third major title at the Australian Open in January but has yet to reach the final at Roland Garros, exiting in the semi-finals 12 months ago at the hands of eventual champion Alcaraz.

In February he accepted an immediate three-month ban after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) over his two positive drugs tests last year.

That suspension ended earlier in May, meaning he was able to compete at his home tournament in Rome – where he dropped just one set en-route to the final against Alcaraz – before travelling to Paris for the second major of the year.