Carlos Alcaraz is a two-time Roland Garros champion with his recent final win against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Although the young Spaniard pulled off a perfect comeback, he took a moment to describe it as an “unreal” battle against his opponent in one of the most gripping Grand Slam finals of recent memory.
The 21-year-old Spaniard dug deep to defeat World No. 1 Sinner in five intense sets, coming back from a set and a breakdown to clinch the title 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(8).
The final, which lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes, is now the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era. Reflecting on the contest, Alcaraz couldn’t hide his admiration for the level of tennis on display.
“Yeah. There were a few moments of the match where the level was insane,” he said. “Being Jannik on the other side of the net playing such a great level, sometimes I felt like ‘What can I do?’ He was moving unbelievable. Hitting amazing shots. There were a few moments of the match that he couldn’t miss any ball. That level was really, really high.”
Despite coming dangerously close to a straight-set loss, the Spaniard never gave up. He saved three championship points in the fifth set.
“I thought sometimes about the people. I enjoyed some parts of the match,” Alcaraz said with a smile. “I enjoy playing such a high level against Jannik, having that battle. It was great. I thought the people were enjoying a little bit as well. For me, it was unreal sometimes.”
In a match where both players pushed each other to their physical and emotional limits, the Spaniard once again found a way to rise above.
Carlos Alcaraz has now firmly cemented his clay court dominance, much like his idol, Rafael Nadal. With that being said, there is no denying that this Roland Garros final against Jannik Sinner may go down as the match that truly defined their epic and ever-growing rivalry.
