Window opens for Sinner and Alcaraz to start to dominate
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will face each other on Sunday in the Roland-Garros final.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Roland-Garros 2025 – © Psnewz / Tennis Majors
When Rafael Nadal sat down for a press conference here two weeks ago, following an emotional farewell ceremony at Roland-Garros, the Spaniard was asked if he thought it was possible that anyone could get anywhere near his remarkable record of 14 French Open titles.
“A lot of things need to happen in your favour to make that happen,” he said, smiling. “Because you need a long career, because you can’t have a lot of injuries…(and) you need some luck, too. To win 14 Grand Slams in the same place, here in Roland-Garros, that can happen, but it’s going to take a while, at least 30 more years.”
The thought that someone could get close, even, is outlandish, not least since the next best is Björn Borg, with six. But Roland-Garros is just one of the four Grand Slams, of course, and today’s men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz showcases the two men who could, with a fair wind and a bit of luck in the next couple of years, start racking up major titles.
The world’s top two men have enjoyed outstanding starts to their career. Alcaraz, the defending champion, has four slam titles to his name while Sinner, the world No 1, has three. Both men are unbeaten in major finals and the two men are beginning to dominate the sport to the extent where there is a growing feeling in the game that we could soon be talking about both getting to double figures in terms of slam titles.
The door is now open without Federer, Nadal… and Djokovic soon?
If that seems a long way away, there are reasons to think it could happen. Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray are all retired and though Novak Djokovic played some outstanding tennis in the semi-finals against Sinner, he is 38 years old. If Wimbledon offers him more of a chance to win a record 25th Grand Slam crown, time is running out and the idea that he would be able to beat both Sinner and Alcaraz to win a major is becoming less and less likely.
There are other players coming up. In Britain’s Jack Draper, who won Indian Wells and who will be ranked a career-high No 4 on Monday, Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian who has already won a title on the ATP Tour, and the Czech, Jakub Mensik, who won in Miami this year, there are threats for the future. But none of those players are fully formed yet and there may just be a window for either or both of Sinner and Alcaraz to make real moves up the all-time list of Grand Slam title winners.
What helps both men is their humility. Neither talk about breaking records, even if they know how good they are, and neither get carried away with comparisons between them and previous generations.
“It takes time to compare us with the big three or big four,” Sinner said, after reaching what is his first Roland-Garros final. I think only time can tell, to be honest. I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries. This could be potentially one of these, but there are amazing players coming up. You never know.”
They need to play against each for at least 10-plus years non-stop in order to be part of the same discussion
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer played each other at least 40 times, so, as Djokovic said, smiling: “They need to play against each for at least 10-plus years non-stop in order to be part of the same discussion”.
“But they’re definitely great for tennis, both of them. I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt. The way they are playing and the way they are approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers in the next whatever (number of) years. I’m sure that we’re going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often.”
Though they have played each other 11 times, today’s match will be the first time the pair have met in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz leads the head to head 7-4, having won the past four, including a five-set classic in the semi-finals last year and in the Rome final just last month. Five of the 11 matches have gone the distance and invariably, these two bring out the best in each other.
“From my point of view, he’s a player who makes me a better player,” Sinner said. “He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve, for the next times I play against him.”
French TV has taken to calling Sinner “La Machine” but Alcaraz, who is a narrow favourite going into the match, says he enjoys the challenge of playing the Italian, with one caveat.
“Most of the time is just about suffering, because they push you to the limit,” he said. “My favourite thing is it gives you the feedback of how can I be a better player. I think that’s important, and that’s beautiful, even if I win or not.”
