Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are both on over 10,000 ATP points
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Carlos Alcaraz reveals secrets of his incredible Roland Garros win over Jannik Sinner
This June, Carlos Alcaraz claimed his fifth Major title at Roland Garros. The 22-year-old scored a memorable 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 victory over world no. 1 Jannik Sinner after a massive turnaround and three match points saved.
Carlos revisited one of his career-high victories in a clash that will be remembered for its breathtaking twists and turns. The Spaniard dropped the opening two sets and faced three match points in the ninth game of the fourth set.
Facing the exit door, Alcaraz relied on unwavering belief and mental fortitude that brought him tennis glory. The young gun focused on winning one point at a time while steadily climbing back.
5th set. 6-6. A super tiebreak to decide it all…
The full 5th set super tiebreak between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ↘️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/SZwLyNgYSh
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 16, 2025
Carlos knew that closing out a Major final can weigh heavily on any player, even someone composed and monolith one as Jannik. For the El Palmar native, it was crucial not to show any cracks despite the obvious struggle.
The 22-year-old raised above the challenge and projected total self-confidence, understanding that even the slightest hint of weakness could end his title dreams against a formidable opponent.
His refusal to panic slowly turned the tide, propelling him to one of the most remarkable comebacks in Major finals. The victory cemented Carlos' status as one of tennis' fiercest competitors.
It also proved his incredible mental strength, the one that matches his physical prowess.
Carlos Alcaraz, Roland Garros 2025© Stream screenshot
"I simply thought about coming back little by little: one point at a time, especially on those three match points. Closing a Major title is never easy, and I knew I would have my chances.
I knew things would not be easy for Jannik. That's how I remained calm and focused. It was also a bit of the image of self-confidence I wanted to share.
I did not doubt that I could come back for a second, and I tried to show that to my rival. As soon as you show weakness, there's no chance of coming back – you are lost," Carlos Alcaraz said.
Carlos Alcaraz can become World No.1 already after 2025 US Open: all details inside
If he participated in the Toronto Masters 1000, Carlos Alcaraz would have had a chance to get closer to Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings. The world No. 1 was the first to announce his absence in Canada, having to recharge his batteries after winning the Wimbledon title for the first time in his career.
A few days later, the 22-year-old Spaniard made the same decision having played many matches in recent months. The five-time Grand Slam champion made it to the bottom of every tournament, lifting his second trophy in a row at Roland Garros and reaching another final at Church Road (lost to his top rival in four sets).
The world number 2 will return to action in Cincinnati and will use this tournament as a test in view of the US Open, where he had a disastrous run last year being eliminated already in the second round.
The rivalry continues
Sinner will have to defend 3000 points between Cincinnati and the US Open, in addition to losing the 200 points obtained in Montreal last year.
This means that Alcaraz has a real chance to overtake his top rival already by the end of the summer, but to succeed in this feat he would have to win the title in both Ohio and New York.
The Italian ace will have many more points to defend than the Spanish star even in the latter part of the season, considering that he had triumphed at the Shanghai Masters 1000 and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in 2024.
Carlos – on the contrary – had not particularly shone in the second half of last season, except for his victory at the Beijing ATP 500 beating Jannik at the end of a truly spectacular final.
This rivalry is set to electrify fans in the second half of 2025 as they wait to see if any other players can become dangerous to their dominance. The general feeling is that these two young champions are taking tennis into a new dimension, creating a huge gap compared to all their opponents.
Alcaraz on Rivalry: We Don't See A Level Like This
"It's going to be better and better," Carlos Alcaraz said of his rivalry with Jannik Sinner.
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By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, July 13, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
The world's top two players share a major mission—and their rivalry will produce more massive moments, Carlos Alcaraz said.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner dethroned two-time champion Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to make history as the first Italian to capture a Wimbledon singles crown today.
Afterward, Alcaraz praised Sinner for an "unbelievable" performance.
The second-ranked Spaniard, who suffered his first major final loss after going 5-0 in his five prior Slam finals, says this Wimbledon showdown is only the beginning.
Alcaraz said the rivalry between the pair is unprecedented on the ATP Tour, they've combined to collect seven straight Grand Slam championships, and will only get stronger as they square off in more finals.
"First of all, I [am] just really, really happy about having this rivalry with him. I think it's great for us, and it is great for the tennis," Alcaraz said after seeing his 20-match Wimbledon winning streak snapped. "Every time we playing against each other, I think our level is really high.
"I think we don't watch a level like this, if I'm honest with you. I don't see any player playing against each other, you know, having the level that we are playing when we face each other.
"I think, as I said many, many times, this rivalry, it's coming better and better. We're building really great rivalry because we're playing final of a Grand Slam, final of Master mills, the best tournament in the world. It's going to be better and better."
The pair produced transcendent tennis with Alcaraz saving three championship points to prevail in record-setting five hour, 29-minute Roland Garros final last month.
The 22-year-old Spaniard said Sinner's ultra-high level of play did not surprise him.
Alcaraz said ultimately the key to the match was Sinner's superior second serve—and the fact the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion repeatedly attacked Alcaraz's second serve sometimes ripping backhand strikes down the line.
Overall, Sinner served a higher percentage—62 percent to 53 percent), won 49 percent of second-serve points played on the Spaniard's second serve and flipped the script on the superior net player. Sinner won 30 of 40 trips to net, compared to 17 of 23 net points for Alcaraz.
"The way he played today, it was really, really high. I didn't surprise at all," Alcaraz said. "I knew he was going to play like this. So it was about some details.
Yeah, I mean, overall he didn't surprise me at all because I know he's a big champion…
"I think the big key was about the second serve. He was returning really well there the second serve that I was hitting. Thanks to that, he was in the position to attack in the second ball every time. So it was really difficult when you are feeling that you just defending all the time and running from side to side all the time."
Reflecting on his first major final loss, Alcaraz said he's "grateful" to Sinner because the No. 1 will force the No. 2 to improve his game.
"Just really grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to just give my 100% every practice, every day," said Alcaraz, who leads the rivalry 8-5 after Sinner snapped a five-match losing streak vs. the Spaniard. "Just to be better, thanks to that. The level that I have to maintain and I have to raise if I want to beat Jannik is really high.
"So I just really grateful for that."
Wimbledon 2025 Day Twelve Recap
Wimbledon’s final weekend is set, and it’s the showdown everyone hoped for. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will meet in the 2025 men’s final after both came through their semi-finals on Day Twelve, though in very different ways. Sinner produced a near-flawless performance to dispatch a hampered Novak Djokovic in straight sets, reaching his first …