Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner deliver 'insane' French Open epic - was it the best final ever?
Updated 09/06/2025 at 11:25 GMT+1
React to this story
It was one of the all-time great Grand Slam finals. Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down - saving three championship points - to beat Jannik Sinner and defend his French Open title in an epic contest that lasted five hours and 29 minutes. How did Alcaraz do it? What were the key moments? And where does it rank among the best major finals ever?
The top shots from an extraordinary Roland-Garros final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Rarely do tennis matches live up to the hype in such spectacular fashion as the first-ever Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner Grand Slam final did.
This was a level of final rarely seen since the days of the ‘Big Four’.
It wasn’t just the length that made it an all-time classic - at five hours and 29 minutes it was the longest French Open final in history - but the quality, the relentless ball striking, the determination and bravery to go for shots.
It was the huge match-defining moments, that kept getting better and better even as the legs and minds got more and more tired, with the added thrill of knowing that these two could repeat this occasion in many more Grand Slam finals over the next decade.
Like any great final, it went back and forth, and even at the very end, could have fallen either way.
Like any great final, there was so little between the two players.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/08/image-17ecdab8-7589-4bac-a596-b97a27ca10ea-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Highlights: Alcaraz overpowers Sinner in classic Roland-Garros final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sinner won 193 points, Alcaraz won 192.
Sinner broke serve seven times, the same as Alcaraz.
Alcaraz hit 17 more winners, but Sinner made 18 fewer errors.
Sinner hit 722 ground strokes, Alcaraz hit 711.
In the end, it was Alcaraz lifting the trophy for the second straight year, rather than Sinner holding it for the first time.
"This one was the most exciting matches that I've played so far, without a doubt," said Alcaraz afterwards.
"I mean, today I think the match had everything, really good moments, really bad moments. I’m just really, really happy. I'm proud about how I dealt with everything today.
"Today there were few moments of the match that, I mean, the level was insane."
Alcaraz's incredible comeback
Such a significant factor in the epic-ness of the contest was Alcaraz’s incredible comeback from the brink.
The first two sets were all about Sinner carrying his momentum from the rest of the tournament into the final. When he won the first two sets to make it 20 straight sets won at the French Open, it looked like Sinner's precision and consistency would fire him to victory, just as in the semi-finals against Novak Djokovic.
- 'There have been better finals' - Alcaraz on thriller
- Alcaraz and Sinner have taken tennis 'to another level'
Even Alcaraz suggested that he feared the worst when Sinner broke to start the third set.
"When he broke my serve at the beginning of the third set, I felt like everything was to his favour. I felt like everything he’s doing was going to be in."
But with victory in sight, Sinner - who has been praised over the last 18 months for his unwaveringly high level - wobbled.
At 40-30 and leading 1-0 in the third set, Sinner dragged a forehand wide and two points later was broken.
At 4-5 down in the third set, he was broken to love as the Alcaraz comeback train started to gather momentum.
But all that looked as though it would be forgotten when Sinner earned three championship points at 0-40, 3-5 in the fourth set.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/08/image-43b28548-a1eb-4262-9409-5fde8f5a8e6b-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Up there with best matches I've ever seen' - Henman reacts to remarkable final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Three points to win his first French Open title and dethrone the champion.
But Alcaraz didn’t blink in the moment - and Sinner did.
On the first championship point, Alcaraz was precise, forcing Sinner into an error on the run.
If that one can be forgotten by Sinner, it's only because his next two chances might stick with him for a while longer.
At 15-40 he went long with a backhand return on a second serve, then with his last chance he netted, having perhaps not punished Alcaraz enough with a mid-court forehand earlier in the rally.
"The first point from Alcaraz was strong, but the 30-40 point Sinner gets a forehand in the middle of the court and hits a fairly conservative forehand," said TNT Sports expert Tim Henman.
"I think that’s the one he will look back on and say I should have gone all out for it."
Still, Sinner had another chance to serve out the win in the next game - but he couldn’t take it.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/08/image-e5e686c1-5dae-450d-8ac6-0d022d1b0a26-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch as Alcaraz roars back to win third set in classic final with Sinner
Video credit: TNT Sports
Twice he went long with the forehand before Alcaraz, sensing the opportunity, upped the ante and broke back.
"Sinner got nervous, no question," said Jim Courier on TNT Sports.
"But Alcaraz, to his immense credit, came up with the goods."
Alcaraz continued to deliver in the tie-breaker, hitting a forehand winner and two aces to recover from 0-2 down. From there he stormed across the line to force a decider, raising his arms aloft and pumping his fists as ‘Sweet Caroline’ blared out at the end of the set.
"This is what tennis is all about," said Courier.
"Two great young champions testing themselves, finding themselves, learning things about themselves."
Fifth set drama
When the fifth set started it looked like the match was starting to slip away from Sinner.
Broken in the opening game having not made a first serve, Sinner appeared to be cramping and suffering physically.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/08/image-94ef7eb7-0934-4429-930c-64dc9057f64e-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch incredible diving winner from Alcaraz in dramatic final with Sinner
Video credit: TNT Sports
But to his credit, he didn’t give in and kept the pressure on, breaking back at the most dramatic time when Alcaraz served for the match.
As the clock ticked past five hours, both players continued to come up with spectacular shots - and again Sinner had a sniff of victory when he led 6-5, 15-30.
Again a missed forehand from Sinner proved costly, before Alcaraz stepped up with a stunning backhand passing shot to take it to a championship tie-breaker.
With the title up for grabs in a race to 10 points, it was Alcaraz who seized his chance, storming clear to seal a remarkable victory.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/08/image-121f238c-b3af-4c8f-a0cd-e74fb852264e-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch memorable moment Alcaraz wins French Open after incredible Championship tie-break
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I think the real champions are made in those situations when you deal with that pressure, with [those] situations in the best way possible," said Alcaraz afterwards.
"That's what the real champions have done in their whole careers.
"So I'm just trying to feel comfortable in the situations with the pressure, and I'm not being afraid of it."
Was it the greatest men's Grand Slam final ever?
One of the immediate post-match decisions was where does this epic contest rank among the all-time great Grand Slam finals.
Was it better than the late-night Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer Wimbledon 2008 final?
What about the 2012 Australian Open final between Nadal and Djokovic, the longest Grand Slam final in history?
Maybe Federer ending his wait for an elusive 18th major title in Melbourne in 2017 - or when Djokovic saved two championship points to beat Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final?
"I think I would still edge the Australian Open in 2012, but any final that edges into the top five of the memory banks is an awesome occasion," said TNT Sports expert Mark Petchey.
"Inedible images, the fact he came from two sets down, a break down in the third set, the twists and turns, the loss of serve when he was serving for it. The narrative of that match will be talked about for decades to come."
'Up there with best matches I've ever seen' - Henman reacts to remarkable final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tim Henman added: "Absolutely up there with the best matches I have ever seen, the sheer quality from start to finish. It was Sinner you felt was racing away with things but Alcaraz has the courage and conviction to keep going for his shots but also the belief when he is so far behind that he is going to find a way. An incredible match."
Alcaraz said he felt there had been "better finals", naming the 2012 Australian Open epic between Djokovic and Nadal, but that this could be up there among the greats.
"If people put our match at that table, it's a huge honour for me," said Alcaraz.
"Watching from outside or realising what that match is in the history of tennis, I don't know if our match is in the same table as them.
"But I’m just happy to put our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slams, in the history of Roland-Garros. I leave the discussion to the people."
- - -
Watch and stream the 2025 tennis season on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement