Jannik Sinner aimed to secure his second Grand Slam title of the year, having already claimed victory at the Australian Open in January.
Having reached his second Major final of the year without losing a set, Sinner appeared to be in excellent form to capture his first French Open title.
The final itself was an unforgettable classic that will be cherished for generations, as Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz showcased their skills for over five hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Sinner seemed on the verge of winning Roland Garros when he was presented with three championship points, yet he was unable to convert any of them, allowing Alcaraz to ultimately push the final into a deciding set.
The intensity of the deciding set was astonishing, as both players elevated their performance, leading the match to a championship tiebreak.
In that tiebreak, it was Alcaraz who emerged victorious, winning the second-longest Grand Slam final in Open Era history with scores of 4-6, 6-7 [4-7], 6-4, 7-6 [7-3], 7-6 [10-2].
Following the match, a former ATP star pointed out the crucial shot that cost Sinner the French Open title.
Tim Henman says a ‘conservative forehand’ on championship point cost Jannik Sinner the title
In an interview with TNT Sports, former world number four Tim Henman reflected on Sinner’s championship points.
[Jannik] Sinner is merely one point away from triumph at Roland Garros, stated Henman.
That was a strong point from [Carlos] Alcaraz [at 0-40], but a little later on, it’s the 30-40 point and Sinner gets a forehand in the middle of the court and it’s the one he will look back on.
For Sinner, that was a fairly conservative forehand. I think he will look back on that one and say I should have gone all out for it.
Then he has to serve for the match, and Alcaraz was just going to give him absolutely nothing, getting that forehand back in to play.
Sinner failed to serve out the match as Alcaraz fought back to win in five breathtaking sets.
The win was Alcaraz’s fifth in a row against Sinner, extending his head-to-head lead over the Italian to 8-4.
Match Winner Loser Score
2025 French Open – F Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6
2025 Italian Open – F Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 7-6, 6-1
2024 China Open – F Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 6-7, 6-4, 7-6
2024 French Open – SF Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2024 Indian Wells – SF Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
2023 China Open – SF Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 6-1
2023 Miami Open – SF Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
2023 Indian Wells – SF Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 7-6, 6-3
2022 US Open – QF Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3
2022 Croatia Open – F Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz 6-7, 6-1, 6-1
2022 Wimbledon – 4R Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
2021 Paris Masters – 2R Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 7-6, 7-5
Suffering another big defeat to Alcaraz, Sinner will now look to regroup ahead of the second half of the 2025 season.
How can Jannik Sinner bounce back from heartbreaking French Open final defeat?
Among the eight billion individuals inhabiting this planet, only a select few will truly understand the experience of being Sinner at this moment.
Recovering from such a profound loss will undoubtedly be a challenging endeavor, yet it is a journey that he and his team must navigate collectively.
When he feels prepared, Sinner will return to the court, where he will commence his training for the grass-court season.
Similar to his experience at Roland Garros, Sinner has yet to secure the Wimbledon title, an achievement he would certainly aspire to accomplish in 2025.
Traditionally, Wimbledon has been the Italian’s least successful Grand Slam tournament, but it would be imprudent to dismiss the world number one.
Grand Slam Best performance Win/Loss record Win %
Australian Open Winner (2024, 2025) 22-4 85%
French Open Finalist (2025) 22-6 79%
Wimbledon Semi-finalist (2023) 13-4 76%
US Open Winner (2024) 17-5 77%
The 23-year-old advanced to the semi-finals in 2023 and narrowly fell short in a five-set quarterfinal match against Daniil Medvedev in 2024.
Sinner is a better player now than he was then, however, and will head to the All England Club as one of the big favorites to win the title.
He’ll surely be as motivated as ever to do so, having just lost a Grand Slam final for the first time in his career.
For those who stand in Sinner’s way at SW19 next month good luck!
The 2025 Wimbledon tournament is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 30.
Jannik Sinner shares his opinion on the ambiance during the Roland Garros final, as he discusses the transformation that has occurred in the sport of tennis.
