Something positive can also come out of a painful defeat: that’s what Italian Jannik Sinner believes, who found the light a few days after losing a historic Roland Garros final to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
‘I don’t see it only in a negative light. Sometimes it’s also good to remember situations like this. The next time I find myself in a situation like this, I’ll know what to do differently,’ Sinner said during an interview with German journalist Klaus Bellstedt in the latest edition of Der Spiegel magazine.
The five hours and 29 minutes played on 8 June 2025 at the Philippe Chatrier stadium in Paris are already among the greatest moments in tennis in recent decades. Sinner not only had a two-set lead over Alcaraz, but in the fourth set he had three consecutive match points on his opponent’s serve and then the chance to win with his own serve. But the winner was the Spaniard.
Did he watch that final again during the break he took between Paris and the grass season, which began with an unexpected defeat in Halle against Kazakhstan’s Alexandr Bublik?
‘Not all of it. I tried to keep my mobile phone as far away as possible so I couldn’t pick it up. But I did watch the highlights. And the match points I had.’
Although he didn’t see the whole final, Sinner is clear about the key moments and the mistakes he made, especially on match points.
“At 15:40, I hit it too long, that bothers me. The rest, Carlos plays very well, always very close to the line, with a lot of pressure. Then I left a ball in the net, which was a consequence of that. I don’t think I did that badly on those match points. Things happened that I can’t change now. I’ve accepted that.”
The world number one said that, as time went by, he felt proud to have been part of such a special final.
‘At first it was painful for me and I only saw the negative. But little by little, positive thoughts began to emerge. We both managed to play five and a half hours of top-level tennis. One of us had to lose. But it was also nice that it was such a worthy final. It’s not very often that the best match is also the final. The atmosphere was extraordinary, it was an experience to have contributed to it. That’s how I see it today.’
Chatting with friends, barbecues and table tennis were the recipe for regaining peace, Sinner added during the interview in German before his debut in Halle. He talked about anything but tennis with his friends.
After the final, many people approached him to tell him that he had been part of something exceptional, beyond the defeat: ‘If other players also tell you that, then it must have been true.’
There is no denying that the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is reminiscent of that between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. And the Italian understands why many see it that way.
“The last six Grand Slams have been won between the two of us. That’s already a small sign. It depends a lot on physical fitness and talent. But in the end, it’s mainly your mentality that decides. Tennis is a mental game. The smallest things in your head are decisive. For now, it looks like Carlos and I are doing well. But things can change quickly. I would be cautious with predictions. There is already a new generation coming through.”
A new final with Alcaraz at Wimbledon? Of course, says Sinner to Der Spiegel.
‘Given our rankings, it would only be possible in the final, at the earliest. In any case, I hope we can experience more matches like the final in Paris. Carlos and I as players, but also the spectators.’
