“Not One Bathroom Break,” John McEnroe’s Brother in Awe of Epic French Open Final Between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz secured his fifth consecutive tour-level victory over Jannik Sinner at the French Open, snapping his 20-match wins in Majors.

“Not One Bathroom Break,” John McEnroe’s Brother in Awe of Epic French Open Final Between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner, Patrick McEnroe, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Sky Sports, X/We Are Tennis)

Carlos Alcaraz had to fight hard to get to his second consecutive French Open title by beating Jannik Sinner. He was on the verge of defeat but impressively saved three championship points before eventually wrapping up the match in his favor after five hours and 29 minutes, which has now become the longest French Open final in the history of tennis.

John McEnroe called the match the best final he had seen at Roland Garros. What surprised his brother, Patrick McEnroe, the most was that the two youngsters didn’t take any toilet breaks or medical timeouts in an attempt to shift momentum. He was also surprised by the youngsters not yelling at their respective teams. McEnroe took to X and said:

Do you realize that they played for 5 hours and 29 minutes on Sunday in Paris? Not one bathroom break, not one visit from the physio or the trainer, not one bark at their box. Nothing. 5 hours and 29 minutes.

Check out his tweet here:

Sinner was aiming to win his third straight Major after his victories at the US Open last and this year’s Australian Open. It’s the first time the Italian ace lost a Grand Slam final.

Sinner also made the finals of every tournament he played this year as apart from the Melbourne Slam, he also reached the final of the Italian Open – his comeback tournament after his three-month doping ban. Sinner lost that match to Alcaraz in straight sets.

He has now lost five consecutive matches against the Spaniard and trails 4-8 in the head-to-head matchups. Alcaraz, on the other hand, won his fourth title of the season and his third on clay after the Monte Carlo Masters and the Italian Open, both of which he lifted for the first time in his career.

Greg Rusedski lavishes praise on Carlos Alcaraz after his French Open win over Jannik Sinner

This year’s French Open final is surely a match that won’t be easily forgotten. Carlos Alcaraz not only defended his title, but he also lifted his fifth Major at the exact same as Rafael Nadal (22 years, one month, and three days old).

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (3)
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Univers Tennis)

He is now 5-0 in Grand Slam finals and is just behind Roger Federer who had a 7-0 record in his first seven Majors. According to former World No.4 Greg Rusedski, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are “special” because, under extreme pressure, they become more relaxed. He said on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast:

And if you look at it there were some half volleys that he made under big situations that no other player makes. It is like the pressure gets higher and the more relaxed he becomes. A lot of us players wish we had that talent. You look at Sinner, he blinked on the match points. There was no blink whatsoever from Alcaraz.

It’s the first time these two young rivals met in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz has now become the third youngest man to win five Grand Slam titles after Bjorn Borg and Nadal. He is the ninth man in the Open Era to clinch a Major final after being two sets down.

Sinner and Alcaraz will next be playing in the Halle Open and the Queen’s Club Championships, respectively. The three-time Major champion will be bidding to defend his title, while Alcaraz, who won at Queen’s in 2023, will be aiming to lift his career’s fourth title on grass.

Wimbledon starts on June 30 and Alcaraz will enter the tournament as the two-time defending champion. Sinner was the semifinalist in 2023 and was defeated in the quarterfinals last year by Daniil Medvedev.

Also read: Stefanos Tsitsipas Picks Roger Federer and Serena Williams as His GOATs of Tennis