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."