Jannik Sinner Reflects on the ‘Positive Things’ Learnt from his Painful Roland Garros Final Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner had three championship points against Carlos Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final.

Jannik Sinner Reflects on the ‘Positive Things’ Learnt from his Painful Roland Garros Final Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz

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

Jannik Sinner came heartbreakingly close to winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros but fell just short against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian lost in a dramatic five-set final that lasted five hours and 29 minutes. Despite holding three championship points, he was unable to close out the match.

Sinner stayed positive in the aftermath, proud of the level he showed in the final. He admitted he never imagined performing so well in his first Grand Slam title match. His effort and resilience stood out, even though the result didn’t go his way. Sinner said in his Wimbledon post-match press conference:

I never thought I would play a final of a Grand Slam like this. All positive things to be honest. Now I’m here. I’m here to show myself that I’m capable to play tennis also on grass, hopefully. I showed it last year. I feel like I’ve improved a lot on this surface. Let’s see what I can do this year. The preparation has gone really well. I feel good mentally and physically. Let’s see what’s coming. All good.

He looked in control for much of the match, leading by two sets and a break in the third. Later, he was up 5-3 in the fourth set, seemingly on the verge of victory. But Alcaraz fought back, saving championship points and breaking to level the fourth at 5-5. He then took the set in a tie-break and carried that momentum into the decider.

The loss adds to a tough pattern for Sinner in long matches. His five-set record now stands at 6-10, and he remains winless in matches lasting more than three hours and 50 minutes, with a 0-7 mark in those contests.

Carlos Alcaraz breaks Rod Laver’s record

Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz battled through a tough opening-round match at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, defeating Fabio Fognini in five sets. The defending champion took four hours and 27 minutes to win 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. Fognini, ranked 138th and playing his final Wimbledon, showed flashes of his past form despite the loss.

Carlos Alcaraz (via X/Wimbledon)
Carlos Alcaraz (via X/Wimbledon)

Alcaraz struggled to find his rhythm for much of the match but delivered a dominant final set to avoid an early exit. The win marked his 19th consecutive victory across tournaments, a streak that includes recent titles in Rome, Paris, and Queen’s Club.

This was Alcaraz’s 13th straight win on grass, improving his overall grass-court record to 30 wins and just 3 losses. With this, he became the fastest man in the Open Era to reach 30 grass-court wins, achieving the feat in only 33 matches.

The 22-year-old also joined an elite group by winning his first 18 opening-round matches at Grand Slams, matching Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg, and Rafael Nadal. In the next round, he will play British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, ranked 733rd.

Jannik Sinner advances into the Wimbledon second round

World No.1 Jannik Sinner made a commanding start to his Wimbledon campaign with a straight-sets win over Luca Nardi. The top seed cruised to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory in just one hour and 48 minutes on a hot day in London. Unlike Carlos Alcaraz’s five-set battle the day before, Sinner faced little resistance on Court No. 1.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (via Wimbledon)

The Italian dominated from start to finish, winning five of 13 break points and never facing one on his own serve. He dropped only 12 points on serve and closed out the match with authority. The match was his first at a major since falling to Alcaraz in the French Open final, where he had held three championship points.

Sinner took time to find his rhythm on return but broke Nardi late in the first set to take control. From there, he lost just three games in the remaining two sets. It was a clean and composed performance in his first-ever meeting with the world No. 95.

With the win, the 23-year-old advanced to face Aleksandar Vukic in the second round. Vukic had earlier beaten Tseng Chun-Hsin in four sets. Sinner also extended his unbeaten record against fellow Italians at the tour level, now standing at 14-0.

Also Read: Daniil Medvedev Addresses the Key Element Missing in his Game After Catastrophic Wimbledon Exit