It can’t get any better than this, can it? The top two players in men’s tennis currently, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, have been involved in a thrilling final battle at the French Open today. After losing the first two sets, Alcaraz came back strongly to level the match by winning the next two sets. Both players had to grind it hard to outwit their opponents, and fans were fortunate to witness some marathon rallies between the two players. In the process, the match also shattered a unique French Open record.
The ongoing match between Alcaraz and Sinner is the longest-ever summit clash at the French Open. The previous record was held by Mats Wilander and Guillermo Vilas, when their match lasted for 4 hours and 42 minutes in the 1982 final. With Alcaraz and Sinner playing a marathon match, with 4 hours, 43 minutes and counting, they have already crossed this mark, and the match has entered the record books even before its completion.
A record held for over four decades has been finally broken, with Alcaraz and Sinner enthralling fans all over the world. Back in 1982, Wilander, who was unseeded back then, upset the former French Open champion Vilas in a thrilling four-set match 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-0, 6-4. Wilander was just 17 back then and hadn’t won any tour-level title before.
Although the match went on for nearly five hours, Wilander didn’t deem it to be a high-quality match. “I just remember that Vilas started choking more than I’ve ever seen. He was so tight. So I started to understand the guy’s choking and it gave me the freedom to start coming forward a little bit and coming to the net a little bit,” Wilander said to TNT Sports.
2025 Roland-Garros – Men s Single Final PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 8: Jannik Sinner not seen of Italy competes against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Men s Single Final match on the day 15 of French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris, France on June 8, 2025. Burak Akbulut / Anadolu Paris France. Editorial use only. Please get in touch for any other usage. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxTURxUSAxCANxUKxJPNxITAxFRAxAUSxESPxBELxKORxRSAxHKGxNZL Copyright: x2025xAnadoluxBurakxAkbulutx
Meanwhile, there was another recent encounter that nearly broke the long-standing record. It was last year’s final between Alcaraz and Zverev, which went on for 4 hours and 19 minutes. Alcaraz won that match in five sets to win his maiden French Open title. In terms of the number of games played, the longest French Open final match was between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl in 1984. After 51 games, Lendl went on to win the encounter in five sets, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5.
Ahead of the final, both Alcaraz and Sinner admitted it to be a tough encounter today. The tie has surely lived up to its billing as revealed by the two superstars.
What did Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner say ahead of the final?
While Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinal, Alcaraz got the better of Lorenzo Musetti in the last four. Sinner was yet to lose a set in the run-up to the final, while Alcaraz had all but one four-set wins. Ahead of the summit clash against each other, Sinner and Alcaraz made some interesting remarks.
The Italian star revealed, “The stage, it doesn’t get any bigger now. Grand Slam finals against Carlos, it’s a special moment for me and for him, too… I try to prepare myself in the best possible way. Of course on Sunday it’s gonna be very, very difficult. My head-to-heads lately don’t look great against Carlos Alcaraz, but I’m happy to be in the final. We will do our best and I will see what I can do.”
On the other hand, Alcaraz shared some similar views, saying, “I think I put some high speed on my shots during the whole match, that probably some other players are not used to play such a high speed or intensity. So that [gives] me a lot of confidence in the Grand Slam that I’m thinking that I gonna come back if I lose one or two sets… It’s going to be a really great Sunday, I think, for the fans of tennis.”
In what has been a see-saw battle, both players are still grinding hard to find the win. The match has already crossed the five-hour mark and yet to cross the finish line, as history beckons the two.
The post Is Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner the Longest French Open Final Ever? Ranking the Longest Match at a Grand Slam Finale appeared first on EssentiallySports.