The 2025 French Open marked the first Grand Slam final meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and it delivered one of the best matches in recent history.
Alcaraz defeated Sinner after coming back from two sets down, winning a five-hour and 29-minute classic to seal his second consecutive Roland Garros title.
The clash between the two stars took the tennis world by storm and is already being considered by some as one of the greatest matches of all time.
Following the bout, Alcaraz explained where his inspiration for the comeback against Sinner came from, which 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal recently gave his thoughts on.
Rafael Nadal claims Carlos Alcaraz said something amazing after winning Roland Garros
Following Alcaraz’s victory, the 22-year-old said he thought of Nadal to inspire the incredible comeback.
When Nadal was asked if he had heard the Roland Garros champions’ comment, he told Marca: “If he already has the ability to think of me at that moment, it’s already amazing.
“It was a very exciting, spectacular final. In the end, to finish with the cup in his arms after so much time close to Jannik taking it away from him, I’m very happy for him.
“It was a match for the history books, and I also feel sorry for Sinner because, despite how hard the match was for him, he had an impeccable attitude.”
On the level of players on tour today, Nadal said: “Every year there will be Grand Slam champions and each one will make their own way and surely new stars will always appear.
“Now there are two players who are far above the others, who are two great champions and who will have to make their way. Tennis is in good hands.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance at Grand Slams
Following Alcaraz’s triumph in Paris, each of the last six Grand Slam titles has been won by either him or Sinner.
The Italian has won every hard-court major in the last two years, emerging victorious twice at the Australian Open, and winning a maiden US Open crown in 2024.
| Year | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sinner | Alcaraz | – | – |
| 2024 | Sinner | Alcaraz | Alcaraz | Sinner |
The Spaniard, on the other hand, has dominated the other two surfaces in recent years, winning two French Open titles in a row, and has the chance to three-peat at Wimbledon this year.
The last person not named Sinner or Alcaraz to win a major was Novak Djokovic, who won the US Open in 2023 after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final.
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