Tennis
French Open
live
Updated 2m ago
Jannik Sinner has taken a two-set lead over Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles final, rounding off the 2025 French Open in Paris today.
Alcaraz drew an early advantage but was quickly chalked back by Sinner, who took the opener 6-4 before forcing an immediate break in the second set. With just a hold needed to clinch the second, Alcaraz finally broke Sinner's resistance but the Italian prevailed in the tiebreak to move within a set of the championship.
The defending champion Alcaraz (2) must now mount a serious comeback against the world No. 1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier's red clay if he is to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy for a second consecutive year.
GO FURTHER
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the French Open final that neither player will lose
Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), *1-2 Alcaraz
Cheers greet Alcaraz's 15-0 point, but oohs and aahs of disappointment tell the story of a needlessly feathery drop shot into the net for 15-all. Sinner's reputation forcing Alcaraz a modicum backwards.
Sinner not in a rut, but definitely dipping. He misses for 30-15, a little loose. An awkward overhand return from Sinner, ruled out late, so the point will be replayed. Close!
I thought Sinner's shot would drift in but Alcaraz watches it like a hawk and it's marginally out, game point. Ace Alcaraz! And he likes it, too!
Big shout of “VAMOS!” from the man from Murcia.
Advertisement
Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), 1-1* Alcaraz
Alcaraz halfway down the net, shakes his head. 15-0. Then 30-0.
That's more like it from Alcaraz! 30-all as he is super patient, manipulating Sinner up and down, side to side, then when the floaty shot comes, jumps into a rollicking aerial forehand winner.
Fist pump from the Spaniard. Here come the grunts as he looks to psych himself up… maybe he's a little too amped up. Long, 40-30, but Sinner's forehand finds tramlines only, deuce.
One blazing forehand on the return, then another. Winner. Advantage. Break!
This is the level he needs from here on out.
Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4), *1-0 Alcaraz
Good tennis all round, 15-all. But Sinner is in the mood now and pings a forehand winner cross-court and into glorious space.
Eesh, Alcaraz misses long and is 15-40 down. Two sets and a break down is not where you want to be against the world No. 1.
Alcaraz narrowly wide, Sinner shakes his racket and without underselling the quality of the top seed, Alcaraz is in a prison largely of his own making.
If he does go on to win the final, it will be some Clint Eastwood-esque escape from Alcaraz.
A tiebreak decides the second set, and at first glance, the biggest thing at the end of it is that it is 2-0 instead of 1-1.
But Sinner was close to going up 5-1 in this set, which for a player who is still building after a three-month suspension — and who has a 6-9 record in fifth sets — could be even more significant.
The difference of 30 minutes extra on court could be a debt repaid deeper in the match if Alcaraz can drag this longer.
Only once in the last 20 years has someone come back from two sets down to win the French Open final, and that was Novak Djokovic against Stefanos Tsitsipas four years ago.
A totally different dynamic to this.
Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4) Alcaraz
But a fine flat shot forces Alcaraz wide right and he nets on the stretch.
Second set to Jannik Sinner.
He is in a fantastic position in this final now…
Advertisement
Sinner 6-4, 6-6(6-4*) Alcaraz
Bad news for Alcaraz as he errs, that's 5-2 down, and Sinner gets the serve back for good measure.
Hmm. Not so good from Alcaraz. His subsequent serve return never looked like making it over the net.
Four set points! Sinner nets, one saved. Wow, another saved! Alcaraz tries another lob, Sinner keeps it in, and Alcaraz flashes a gorgeous cross-court forehand winner past the top seed!
Sinner 6-4, 6-6(4-2*) Alcaraz
Not much you can do about those! Ramrod-straight Sinner ace for 2-2, then the Italian sees a sliding backhand go into the tramlines, 3-2 and serve back to Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz misses his first serve, Sinner attacks the return, Alcaraz wrests control of the point back but Sinner curls a wondrous forehand into the corner to gasps from the crowd!
Alcaraz 4-2 down at the changeover.
Sinner 6-4, 6-6(*1-2) Alcaraz
Heck of a second serve from Sinner, right up the T, no double faults today for the world No 1 despite his close-to-the-bone approach to second serving generally. 1-0.
Sinner's returns fly long twice for 2-1 as the serve switches back again. Carlos Alcaraz's mum Virginia applauds.
Sinner 6-4, 6-6 Alcaraz
Now, can Carlos Alcaraz force a tiebreak or will Sinner go two sets up? The umpire is called to check a ball… and it's marginally in from Alcaraz. 15-0. Huge serve down the middle, 30-0.
Sumptuous drop shot from Alcaraz, who is humming at 40-0 up. Now we're cooking with gas!
Big serve, Sinner somehow returns, Alcaraz whacks it away into open court. Tiebreak inbound!
Sinner 6-4, 6-5* Alcaraz
Alcaraz goes a point up on Sinner's serve, 0-15, and the anger is bubbling up a little within Sinner. He takes some of that anger out on a wonderful forehand winner that flashes past Alcaraz's right side.
Giant serve for 30-15. Champagne tennis there! Sinner pins Alcaraz deep behind the baseline, reaches a high lob, brings Alcaraz in with a drop shot and meets the Spaniard's response with a wrong-footing disguised lob.
Game point, gargantuan ace in the dust bowl that is Philippe-Chatrier. Big hold. Dua Lipa comes on over the speakers, as Dustin Hoffman passes American actress Mindy Kaling a French fry.
Not a sentence I thought I'd ever type.
Advertisement
Sinner 6-4, *5-5 Alcaraz
Nice volley from Alcaraz, 30-0, game point as Sinner misses. The Italian wipes his brow and readjusts his blue baseball cap.
Unusual to see him squirming. A riveting exchange ends as Alcaraz tries to bullet a forehand past a static Sinner (is his footwork slowing down a little, I wonder?) but it's long.
But that was just a marker for the next one! He slams that one away and Alcaraz holds to 15 to go level for the first time this set! Can he continue the momentum and break Sinner now? Let's find out!
The fans have been desperately trying to lift Alcaraz, and he gives them something to shout about at last.
A break back for 5-4, with Sinner serving for a two-sets lead.
Can he hold himself though? If he can, that last game might be the one to give him lift-off in this final.
Sinner 6-4, 5-4* Alcaraz
Now we believe! Another wicked return from Alcaraz, who seems to have his eye in now, Sinner goes long, and this match's heartbeat rises another notch.
Back on serve in the second set!
Sinner 6-4, 5-3* Alcaraz
Super return from Alcaraz, inside-out, zoomed back at his opponent, 0-15. Now it's 0-30 as Alcaraz fakes the inside-out forehand, opening his body up, and after that feint goes inside-in, down the line!
Chatrier rising in acclamation. Sinner under the pump in the game. Another slammed return from Alcaraz, but he pulls a backhand wide. He glares at the mark disapprovingly. 15-30.
Sinner returns a fine forehand with interest and Alcaraz, stretching, tries the Hail Mary play down the line, and misses. 30-all, and Sinner two points from a likely fatal two-set advantage.
But Sinner nets, out of nothing! Alcaraz's first break point of the second set. Sinner took his one break point this set. Can Alcaraz be as impressively clinical?
Sinner is looking to get forward when he has an obvious advantage in points, which he hasn't always done in this matchup, because it's not his most comfortable part of the court and Alcaraz is so lethal in turning defense into attack.
It's working for him so far, with Alcaraz unable to get much purchase on his first-serve returns and missing too often on second-serve ones.
Advertisement
Sinner 6-4, *5-3 Alcaraz
Such a pleasant position for Jannik Sinner. The Italian can attack this Carlos Alcaraz game with nothing to lose, knowing even if Alcaraz takes the game, he can still serve out nicely for 6-3 in the next.
Alcaraz 30-0 up, trying to express himself, but his drop shot is off the mark, 30-15.
Two quick points, Sinner nets, Alcaraz keeps the set going at least one more game.
The crowd here are really trying to lift Alcaraz here, singing his name at the end of points.
But a couple of regulation forehand errors from the defending champion turn 15-30 into 40-30.
Another forehand misses its mark from Alcaraz, and Sinner holds for 5-2.
Sinner 6-4, 5-2* Alcaraz
Time running out in this second set for Carlos Alcaraz to get a break back. Sinner is two holds away from two sets up. But that's a good start! With new balls, things will likely speed up.
And Alcaraz pummels a sweet winner down the line for 0-15. Sinner applauds on his racket. Alcaraz trying to disrupt Sinner's court placement, he draws him in with a drop shot and tries the lob… but it's narrowly long.
Fans boisterous and partisan in vocal support of Alcaraz now. They're loving his ambition. Now then! Sinner slides into the net but flips it into the tramlines with Alcaraz in no man's land! Chants of ‘Carlos, Carlos! Carlos, Carlos!’ greet 15-30.
Oh, Alcaraz, that's terrible. He stands super deep on a second serve but gets it all wrong and balloons it long. He smiles, a genuine smile. Maybe that will relax him. It's 30-all.
And again, in the point, rally ongoing, unforced error as he dunks it into the net before groaning audibly. Sinner has played a poor game and leads 40-30. Alcaraz long, 100 minutes gone, Sinner a game from going two sets up.
