Tennis fans witnessed an all-time classic between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the French Open.
For five hours and 29 minutes, the top two players in the ATP Tour rankings went toe-to-toe in an enthralling back-and-forth match for the Roland Garros title.
Fans were excited to see the defending champion and World number one square off for the first time in a Grand Slam final.
But even the most passionate spectators did not expect the thriller the two players produced and it resulted in Carlos Alcaraz becoming a five-time Grand Slam champion.
Where does Carlos Alcaraz rank in the five greatest matches of all time?
Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer – Wimbledon 2008
2008 marked the third successive year that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer contested the Wimbledon final.
Federer aimed to make history by becoming the first player to triumph at SW19 for the sixth year in a row. Nadal lost in 2006 and 2007 and he was determined not to come up short once again.
He made a strong start by winning the first two sets, before Federer roared back and saved a championship point in set four before sending the match into a deciding set.
In a match that lasted almost five hours and induced two rain delays, Nadal saw off Federer’s comeback to seal a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 to win at Wimbledon for the first time.
Darkness fell upon centre court as Nadal lifted the covered trophy after a match with plenty of back-and-fourth action and their contrast in styles made for a truly excellent encounter that fans will never forget.
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal – Australian Open 2012
Novak Djokovic enjoyed a terrific 2011 season and he began 2012 by continuing his dominance.
But he was pushed extremely hard by Nadal in that year’s Australian Open final, who was aiming to end a run of six successive defeats to the Serbian.
The pair pushed one another to their physical limit and they needed chairs to sit down during the trophy presentation such was their exhaustion.
Nadal edged a tight first set, before Djokovic took control in set two and three and looked as though he would claim a four-set win.
But Nadal’s unbridled resilience saw him snatch the fourth set on a tiebreak and he opened up a 4-2 lead in the decider. But Djokovic battled back and the players’ lung-busting rallies hours into their contest was a sight to behold.
Ultimately Djokovic completed the comeback and retained his title in five hours and 53 minutes, the longest Grand Slam final of all time.
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer – Wimbledon 2019
Wimbledon 2019 marked the last Grand Slam final of Federer’s career and it certainly was a memorable one.
He took on Djokovic for the 48th time and they produced a match for the ages, which the Swiss Maestro was one point away from winning.
Federer produced an aggressive and front-foot brand of tennis and applied relentless pressure on Djokovic, who claimed sets one and three via tiebreaks.
When the moment came for Federer to take the victory, he failed to take two championship points on his serve.
He battled on to 12-12 in the final set before it was decided via a tiebreak. Djokovic came back from the brink to clinch a remarkable 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(4) 4-6 13-12(3) victory and denied Federer a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title.
Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe – Wimbledon 1980
45 years on, the 1980 Wimbledon final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe stands the test of time.
It was arguably the first Grand Slam final in the Open Era that showcased the drama, emotion, contrasting styles and momentum swings that were illustrated in the other matches on this list.
The Swede was dominated by McEnroe in set one before he won a tight second set and taking control in set three.
Borg’s baseline game against McEnroe’s attacking net game made for a fascinating matchup, which went to five sets after the American edged a mammoth fourth set tiebreak in which Borg held championship points.
But Borg kept his cool as he always did and went on to secure a 1-6 7-5 6-3 6-7 8-6 and win his fifth successive and final Wimbledon title in dramatic fashion. This match epitomised their compelling rivalry which is still talked about so fondly to this day.
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz – 2025 French Open
Alcaraz and Sinner wrote their rivalry into the history books after producing a classic French Open final.
It began with Sinner taking a two-set lead, and though Alcaraz claimed set three, Sinner found himself with three championship points on Alcaraz’s serve in the fourth set.
But Alcaraz, who said he drew inspiration from his compatriot Nadal, dug deep to hold serve, and go on to win the fourth set.
He had a chance of his own to serve for the title in the fifth set, but Sinner responded by breaking back. The two warriors continued to repel one another at every turn, until the fifth set 10-point tiebreak.
Alcaraz raised his level one final time and Sinner had no answer, as Alcaraz completed a 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2) victory to become a two-time French Open winner and establish that the new era of men’s tennis has well and truly arrived.
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