Roger Federer’s Ex-coach Believes Timing of Jannik Sinner’s French Open Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz Is ‘Perfect’

Jannik Sinner met Carlos Alcaraz for the first time in a Grand Slam final at Paris; the rivals could meet again if they both reach the Wimbledon final.

Roger Federer’s Ex-coach Believes Timing of Jannik Sinner’s French Open Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz Is ‘Perfect’

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Alcaraz archive, Jannik Sinner HQ)

Jannik Sinner is gearing up to win his first Wimbledon title. He has never reached the final but is expected to play it this season. If he advances to the championship match, he could set up a blockbuster clash with his rival Carlos Alcaraz.

It was the Spaniard who denied him his first French Open title. Sinner, after progressing to the summit clash in Paris, took a 2-0 lead at first and also had three championship points in the fourth set. But Alcaraz’s incredible turnaround awarded him his second consecutive Roland Garros title in five hours and 29 minutes.

Sinner, obviously crestfallen after the defeat, cried for a quarter of an hour in the locker room before a post-match interview. He also had a few sleepless nights and the effect of the defeat cost him the title at the Halle Open, where he played to defend his title and win for the second time on grass.

Roger Federer‘s former coach Ivan Ljubicic, however, believes the timing of Sinner’s defeat was perfect. According to the Croatian, the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon is less so Sinner will be shifting his focus quickly to winning the next Major. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport:

It was a hard blow, a very hard blow for Sinner. But you know how to erase a blow like that? By continuing and having the possibility of winning a Grand Slam. The good news is that it’s the ideal time because, if you experience a disappointment in Paris, you have three weeks to get back into the swing of things.

Alcaraz has now taken an 8-4 lead in the head-to-head matchups against Sinner. It was also his fifth win on the trot over the Italian. Before Paris, Alcaraz denied Sinner the Masters 1000 title in front of his home crowd at the Italian Open.

Novak Djokovic practiced with Carlos Alcaraz before Wimbledon

Wimbledon starts on June 30, and Carlos Alcaraz will be bidding to win his third consecutive title. In 2023 and 2024, he beat seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in the finals.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic (Images via ATP/X)

In 2023, Alcaraz spoiled Djokovic’s Calendar Slam goal by eking out a victory in five sets. But last year, Alcaraz defended his crown without breaking a sweat. Ahead of the tournament, Djokovic made his feelings known on his practice session with the five-time Grand Slam champion.

As happy as one can be. You feel bad playing on it. It is so perfect. It looks amazing. It is a real privilege. Carlos Alcaraz as the defending champion gets the right. I am the sparring partner. I am happy he chose me.

Novak Djokovic said (via Daily Express)

The Serb will be entering the grass-court Major to aim for his historic 25th Major and many believe this is the last chance for him to surpass Margaret Court. If he wins, he will also tie the title tally with his longtime rival Roger Federer, who lifted his eighth Wimbledon in 2017.

Since 2018, Djokovic has reached all the championship matches of the third Major of the season, winning four times on the trot (Wimbledon was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The 38-year-old last won the event at SW19 in 2022 by beating Nick Kyrgios.

Djokovic last lifted a Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, and since then, he made it to a Major final just once (at Wimbledon last year). Alcaraz will be aiming to complete the Channel Slam for the second consecutive season. He has met Djokovic right times and trails 3-5 in the head-to-head encounters.

The Serb was last seen in action at the French Open, where Jannik Sinner denied him a chance to lift his fourth title in the tournament, by eliminating him in the semifinals. He then skipped the warm-up tournaments on grass just like last year.

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