Carlos Alcaraz shares a special relationship with the French Open and, by association, the crowd too.
After all, he is now a two-time champion at the event, and is admittedly beloved wherever he plays due to his infectious optimism.
That notion was perfectly exhibited by the clear bias within Philippe Chatrier earlier today, as the bulk of the supporters inside the stadium rooted for the Spaniard.
During periods of particular hardship, shouts of “Carlos” would ring around the Parisian arena, willing him to extend this superb match.
And he gladly obliged, before delivering his verdict on their impact throughout the final.
Carlos Alcaraz rates the crowd at the French Open final
Asked if anything in particular helped inspire him through the tough moments of the match, he conjured up a few outstanding examples.
However, he also sought to give himself some credit for showcasing great mental fortitude in the face of such a devastating loss.
Carlos Alcaraz admitted: ‘I had to fight all the time and believe all the time in myself. Honestly, when he broke my serve at the beginning of the third set I felt like everything was in his favour.
‘I felt like everything he was doing was going to be in. He was going to make winners, no mistakes. He was hitting with the frame and it was going to the lines. That was my feeling at the beginning of the third set.
‘I tried to delete that thought from my mind and just keep it going, tried to fight all the time.
‘Obviously, the crowd and the people were really important to me today. The whole crowd were amazing. But there were a few corners of the crowd which were really, really helpful to me. I appreciate that. Probably without them it would have been impossible to come back.’
Also, in his on-court interview, Alcaraz made a prediction about Sinner’s future to further reinforce not only their rivalry, but their mutual respect.
Carlos Alcaraz extends winning record over Jannik Sinner
So many records toppled throughout a legendary French Open match, which will surely go down as one of the all-time greatest finals contested at a Grand Slam.
Such was the quality of both competitors, many have suggested that neither deserved to lose, with the only real winners being those who were lucky enough to witness such a historic event.
Two generational rivals, poised to dominate the sport for the next decade and beyond, battling out their first major final against one another.
However, despite the intensity and quality of their rivalry, it has become rather one-sided more recently.
After all, it is the Spaniard who has now won their last five meetings, including the final of the Italian Open last month, the final in Beijing last year, and the semi-finals in Indian Wells and Roland Garros in 2024 too.
Whilst Jannik Sinner is matching Alcaraz elsewhere, there is something about the 22-year-old that unsettles him like no other.
This recent domination only adds to the intrigue of how the Italian will manage to turn things around.
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