Former British No.1 Says Jannik Sinner’s “Perfect Gameplay” Was Unstoppable Against Novak Djokovic

Jannik Sinner is in his first Roland Garros final and will take on Carlos Alcaraz for the first time on a Grand Slam final stage.

Former British No.1 Says Jannik Sinner’s “Perfect Gameplay” Was Unstoppable Against Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner HQ)

Jannik Sinner produced an amazing performance to end Novak Djokovic’s hopes of claiming his fourth Roland Garros. The World No.1 dominated proceedings throughout the match, making life difficult for his opponent. Former British No.1 Tim Henman praised the Italian star for his perfect gameplay against Djokovic.

Sinner is now into his third successive Grand Slam final following his 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) win over Djokovic in over three hours at the Court Philippe-Chatrier. The Italian star has been successful in his last three Grand Slam finals, winning the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open in New York.

The Italian was excellent on his serve in the opening set of his encounter against Djokovic. He broke his opponent in game five, but things were a bit tight in the second set as both players sought to break midway during the set, before Sinner claimed a decisive break to claim the second.

The third set was more grueling for the Italian than the second as Djokovic led 5-4 (30-15), before the World No.1 forced the tie to a tie-break. Also, the Serbian had three set points in the third set, but the top seed held firm and then got over the line, winning the match. Up next for Sinner is Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

However, Tim Henman was particularly excited by Sinner’s precise performance in the semi-final. The former British No.1 revealed that despite the dexterity of Djokovic in moments of the tie, Sinner stayed aggressive throughout the match:

It was a perfect gameplay from Sinner…Djokovic fought so hard to level things up in the second set. Djokovic definitely had his moments, but the speed and dexterity of Sinner were impressive again. When Djokovic had set point, he was going for his shots but Sinner stayed so aggressive. He really was relentless and was getting Djokovic into defensive positions. It was an amazing performance.

This is Sinner’s first final at the Roland Garros in his career and fourth in a Grand Slam event. He has also not won a title on clay since beating Alcaraz at the 2022 Umag Open final in Croatia. Nonetheless, Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 7-4 and has won all their past four meetings, including their most recent at the 2025 Italian Open final.

Jannik Sinner is looking forward to facing Carlos Alcaraz at the “special” Roland Garros final

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday (June 8) in the Roland Garros final. It will be the first time the pair will face each other in a Grand Slam final. Sinner is vying to win his first Grand Slam outside the hard courts, while Alcaraz is aiming to defend the French Open and extend his tally to five major titles. Sinner revealed during an interview with ATP that the final against Alcaraz is a special moment in his career:

It’s both ways, but I think we try to push ourself in the best possible way. I believe when there is a good match, it’s also good to play. It’s not only to watch, but also to play. It’s very special. And the stage, it doesn’t get any bigger now. Grand Slam finals against Carlos, it’s a special moment for me and for him, too.

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

Sinner is yet to drop a set at the Roland Garros, while Alcaraz has dropped four sets. However, one of Alcaraz’s strengths has been his athleticism and adaptability to opponents’ style of play in difficult matches.

Also Read: Boris Becker Hopes Novak Djokovic Will Return to Roland Garros After Semi-Final Defeat to Jannik Sinner