The daybreak of a brand new period in males’s tennis lastly arrived, and in some type.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the game for 2 years however, like a pair of heavyweight boxers ducking each other, that they had by no means met in a Grand Slam closing.
Roland-Garros set the stage and the very best gamers on the planet delivered a stone-cold basic, with Alcaraz saving three championship factors earlier than profitable the longest closing in French Open historical past, a five-set, five-hour 29-minute epic.
It was the primary main closing between two males born on this century and on this proof, there shall be a lot extra.
“It’s not overstating things to say this was one of the greatest Grand Slam final of all time,” mentioned Sky Sports activities’ Jonathan Overend. “At all times so arduous to evaluate, examine and distinction and line all of them up collectively however within the Open Period of Slam finals we have witnessed that’s in a really small assortment of all-time nice matches.
“You’d should put the Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic Australian Open closing in 2012 in there as a result of it was virtually six hours and Andy Murray towards Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2013 for the historic aspect however for me, the earlier finest was the Wimbledon closing of 2008 when Nadal beat [Roger] Federer 9-7 within the closing set and that is the one which is all the time in my thoughts as being above the remainder that’s the best match I’ve ever seen.
“Now it has competitors from Sinner and Alcaraz at Roland-Garros in 2025. For therefore many causes however the one I spotlight is simply the sheer high quality of play so late within the match and that was what distinguished the Nadal-Federer ’08 closing.
“They would deliver these incredible exchanges in near darkness. It had gone 9pm on Centre Court at Wimbledon that year and I didn’t think I would see tennis played that late in such an important match that well again.
“On Sunday, we did! It was a degree that matched ’08, and dare I say it, it bettered ’08.
“Just elite tennis, taking it to new heights and the fifth-set tie-break Alcaraz played was close to perfection. It was an incredible match between two guys who are still so young. It scares you in terms of their potential.
“It simply makes you assume the place can they potential go from right here. If we’re concluding that match was pretty much as good as Nadal towards Federer at their peak, the place can Sinner and Alcaraz take this rivalry?
“The fact that they’ve shared between them the last six Grand Slams and they had this perfect record in Grand Slam finals before Sunday, I can see this happening over, and over, and over again for the next decade. They’re at such a level where they’re going to have to raise their game even further.
“They’ll push themselves additional and additional forward the best way Nadal, Djokovic and Federer has to do to one another.
“Sinner and Alcaraz are going to have to dominate when their biggest rival [Djokovic] is an all-time great player. These two are already in that conversation. Just in terms of the excitement level for this rivalry, because they have peaked so early in their careers, the only way is up from here and that is so exciting for the future of tennis.”
Robson: It was theatre
Former British No 1 Laura Robson grew to become engrossed by the “theatre” of the ultimate regardless of spending the day fulfilling work commitments in her position as event director of the brand new ladies’s WTA 500 occasion at Queen’s Membership.
Talking to Sky Sports activities, she mentioned: “I was checking the score throughout the day and I was thinking ‘this is why there’s nothing better than live sport because it’s so unpredictable’. You can’t get any better than that – it was theatre!
“The ultimate is not possible to check in the identical approach you attempt to not examine completely different period’s of the game as a result of the sport type has moved on and the gear is completely different. Why would I wish to examine a classic Federer-Nadal closing as a result of they’re all nice.
“When I was watching that fifth set I was thinking of the Djokovic-Nadal final in Australia when they were so exhausted they had to get chairs for them to sit down because they couldn’t stand up any more and that was the vibe it was giving me.
“We’re fortunate as a sport that after the ‘Large Three’ we now have these two pushing one another to new heights within the sport.”
Alcaraz’s coach, former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, spoke in regards to the rivalry after the ultimate, saying: “For the sport it’s something amazing to have these players, this kind of rivalry they have.
“Having these two guys preventing for giant trophies, I believe we have now to be very completely happy about it within the sport of tennis. They know they should play unbelievable tennis to beat the opposite man.”
Henman: One of many best matches I’ve ever seen
Tim Henman additionally rated the match as being proper up with the best, with the previous British No 1 telling TNT Sports activities: “When you’ve got the top two going head to head, it doesn’t always live up to the hype, but that is one of the best, one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen.
“And to have it in a Grand Slam closing is one thing particular. Spare a thought for Jannik Sinner. He performed some wonderful tennis and obtained oh so shut.”
Legend John McEnroe claimed Alcaraz and Sinner would probably beat 22-time main winner Nadal at his peak, saying on TNT Sports activities: “You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best.
“Do I believe they are going attain 20, 24 (titles), both of them? No, as a result of that plateau is so arduous.
“But these two guys right now, it’s like when you watch the NBA and you say nobody could be better than Michael Jordan. The tennis level right now is higher than I’ve ever seen.”
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