John McEnroe Calls Carlos Alcaraz’s Thrilling Comeback Win Versus Jannik Sinner Best Roland Garros Final

Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his French Open crown and took an 8-4 head-to-head lead over Jannik Sinner.

John McEnroe Calls Carlos Alcaraz’s Thrilling Comeback Win Versus Jannik Sinner Best Roland Garros Final

John McEnroe, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/TNT Sports, Massimiliano Ambesi)

Carlos Alcaraz versus Jannik Sinner at the French Open will go down in history as one of the epic Grand Slam final matches of all time. For some, it was the best French Open final.

Alcaraz broke a plethora of records during his five-hour, 29-minute battle against the Italian, wrapping the match in his favor with a 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) scoreline in what was also the longest French Open final in the history of tennis.

Alcaraz became the third youngest man to take home his fifth Major after Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal. He is also the ninth player in the Open Era to clinch a Grand Slam title despite being 2-0 sets down.

For Sinner, it was his first defeat in his four Major finals. Before the start of the match, tennis great John McEnroe claimed the two young rivals would have been favorite to beat 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal at his best. And after the final, he called the five-set thriller the best final in Paris. He told TNT Sports:

With all due respect to Jim (Courier), who won this twice, I can’t think of a better Roland Garros final than what we just witnessed. And after all the talk over the course of the last couple of years, where is tennis going to go from here? ‘Cause we’re losing Federer, we lost Nadal and (Novak) Djokovic, what’s going to happen…It seems like we’re in pretty good hands with these two guys.

Djokovic, the only member of the Big 3 yet to hang up his racket, lost a thrilling semifinal to Sinner in straight sets. Before setting up the clash with the now five-time Grand Slam champion, Sinner didn’t drop a set and spent about two hours less than Alcaraz on the court because he was breezing past opponents one after the other in the previous rounds, registering bagels and breadsticks in the process.

Alcaraz has now lifted his fifth Major at the exact same as Nadal (22 years, one month, and three days). Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title by beating Roger Federer in 2008 to win his career’s first Wimbledon title.

Juan Carlos Ferrero makes his feelings known on the French Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz has now won all of his five Majors under the guidance of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. After the match, the 45-year-old revealed the advice he gave to Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Roland Garros French Open 2025
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Roland Garros/X)

We tried to prepare tactically and mentally the match, but of course I was talking to him that after three hours and a half, the match could be physical. Also mental but very physical and in the end I think it was like this. I think it was an amazing battle and very physical at the end.

Juan Carlos Ferrero said at the press conference

After the win, Alcaraz improved his head-to-head record over Sinner to 8-4, and on clay, he is 3-1, winning the French Open final, this year’s Italian Open final, and last year’s Roland Garros semifinal against the 23-year-old. The young Spaniard captured his fourth title of the season, following his victories here, at the Rotterdam Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and the Italian Open.

He ended the clay swing as the most successful player, reaching four finals and winning three titles. Sinner too has made it to every final he played on the clay swing. He has won just one title this season, the Australian Open in January by beating Alexander Zverev.

Both the players, who have now won seven of the last eight Grand Slam titles, will shift their focus to the grass swing, which started on June 9. Alcaraz is the winner of three titles on the surface, winning at the 2023 Queen’s Club Championships and at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, by beating Novak Djokovic both times.

Sinner has one grass-court title under his belt: the 2024 Halle Open which he lifted by beating Hubert Hurkacz. At Wimbledon, he was the semifinalist in 2023 but last year, Daniil Medvedev ended his run in the quarterfinals.

Also Read: PGA Tour Comparing Carlos Alcaraz to Tiger Woods After Winning French Open Doesn’t Sit Well with Golf Fans: “Don’t Try to Compare Anyone to the Goat”