Former ATP great Mats Wilander couldn’t help but bring in the Big Three in his praise of what Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner did at Court Philippe-Chatrier during the French Open final.“They have taken our sport to another level. I never thought I’d say that after the big three—Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic)—but its actually faster than ever and a level that is hard to believe.” The tennis world got an epic battle, and then some more. At 5 hours and 29 minutes, the Spaniard and the Italian turned the Parisian clay court into a battlefield like no other.
Initially, it looked like an easy ride for Sinner. Having won two sets already, it seemed like he had nothing to worry about. But soon, the match turned into an unbelievable rollercoaster after Alcaraz showed his unmatched fighting spirit. He won the third and came back in the fourth from being three championship points down. Then in the nail-biting fifth set, featuring a super 10-point tiebreak, the Spaniard proved his mettle, once again, at the Roland Garros, successfully defending his title from last year and winning his fifth Grand Slam in the process.
John McEnroe‘s brother and former American icon Patrick McEnroe was also among the people who were highly impressed with Alcaraz and Sinner‘s monumental efforts displayed on the court. According to him, what sets this iconic final apart from any other match is the fact that both players were deeply involved in tennis. “Nothing” else. Taking to his X account, McEnroe shared a clip saying, “Do you realize that they played for five hours and twenty nine minutes on Sunday in Paris? He revealed, “Not one bathroom break. Not one visit from the physio, the trainer. Not one barking at their box. Nothing. Five hours and twenty nine minutes.” Let that sink in.
No bathroom breaks
No physio visits
No barking at their boxes
Mano a Mano
Respect @carlosalcaraz and @janniksin pic.twitter.com/eYVl4MS1mk
— Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) June 13, 2025
The sheer level of intensity shown by the two can be felt from the overall points tally. Sinner received 193 points. But Alcaraz was not far behind with 192 points. What’s more? The World No. 1 and No. 2 had 123 winners between them. No wonder that 7-time major champion John McEnroe was in awe of them as well. So much so that he even made an explosive comment, involving Rafael Nadal, while admiring Alcaraz and Sinner’s talent.
Carlos Alcaraz/Jannik Sinner vs Nadal: What does John McEnroe think?
Undoubtedly, the French Open final was one for the history books. Apart from being the longest men’s singles final for the event, it was also the most watched on TV in the last 14 years. In France, the match attracted an average of 5.5 million viewers on France 2 and 3 TV channels. This is according to a report from French outlet L’Equipe.
It’s the best figure for a men’s title clash at the Roland Garros since the 2011 encounter where Roger Federer was beaten by Rafael Nadal, whom John McEnroe believes Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could defeat even if the 14-time French Open champion were to play at his best. Ahead of the much-anticipated final last week, McEnroe made a bold claim. “You would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favoured to beat Nadal, at his best,” reported TNT Sports on June 8. He added, “The tennis level right now is higher than I’ve ever seen,”
Furthermore, ex-German legend Boris Becker also lauded the 2025 French Open king and Sinner’s performances. He said, “The match was unbelievable, I feel for both players. These are the matches you train for and why you love this sport.” What are your thoughts on Alcaraz-Sinner’s historical clash at Court Philippe-Chatrier? Has it become one of your favorite tennis matches of all time? Let us know in the comments below.
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