"I don't know if our match sits at their table" - Carlos Alcaraz refuses to rank his Roland Garros final among the best in history
ATP
Although several in the tennis community have placed the French Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as one of the best tennis matches in the history of the sport, the Spaniard doesn't believe their clash on Sunday is worthy of that praise.
The defending champion faced Sinner in a mouthwatering clash, with fans eagerly anticipating their bout as both players were in great form entering the final. Despite dropping the first two sets, Alcaraz was able to save three match points and battle back to secure a five-set win over the World No.1, capturing his fifth Grand Slam title in the process.
Alcaraz remains humble regarding the match's place in history
After taking a few days to celebrate his victory, Alcaraz began his media tour during which he was asked whether his performance during the final, in addition to the match quality, was fit to stand beside other epic tennis clashes of the past.
"People will probably talk about this match like they talk about Borg versus McEnroe at Wimbledon in 1980 and Federer-Nadal at Wimbledon 2008," asked a reporter. "How does it make you feel, to have entered tennis history to this extent?"
Known for his sportsmanship and humility, Alcaraz responded by stating he did not believe their dramatic Roland Garros encounter was on the same level as those before him. However, the 22-year old added he was pleased to have his name remembered in Grand Slam history.
"Honestly, if people put our match in that bracket, it's a great honor for me," responded Alcaraz. "I don't know if it's on the same level as those matches because they are, you know, the history of tennis and the history of sport. So I'll let people talk about it if, for them, it's almost the same thing.
"But for me, looking from the outside or realizing what this match represents in the history of tennis, I don't know if our match sits at their table. But I'm happy to inscribe our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slam, in the history of Roland-Garros. Simply, the debate is up to them."
"But for me, looking from the outside or realizing what this match represents in the history of tennis, I don't know if our match sits at their table. But I'm happy to inscribe our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slam, in the history of Roland-Garros. Simply, the debate is up to them."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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