Tennis
French Open
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Updated 9s ago
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have gone to a tiebreak in the second set of the men’s singles final, rounding off the 2025 French Open in Paris today.
Alcaraz broke first 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 the Italian's resistance to go level and take it all the way to a tiebreak.
The world No. 1 must get past defending champion Alcaraz (2) on Court Philippe-Chatrier's red clay to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the French Open final that neither player will lose
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…
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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.
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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.
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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.
I mentioned the importance of drop shots earlier today, and so it has proven just then in the final on Chatrier.
Once seen as a cop-out or a party trick, the drop shot has gone from eccentric to essential. Indeed, it has become a vital tactic in both the men’s and women’s game.
Just ask Jannik Sinner, who was just stung by a brilliant drop shot from Carlos Alcaraz to finish that last game.
Alcaraz one of the best proponents of the art form in the tennis world.
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Drop shots in tennis go from eccentric to essential, with some help from Carlos Alcaraz
Sinner 6-4, *4-2 Alcaraz
Alcaraz needs to conjure a break from somewhere against the uber-relentless Sinner. First, though, he really needs to hold his service games.
From 30-0, a slice of luck from Sinner as he cracks a backhand down the line. Alcaraz, at the net, is well placed but it kisses the top of the net and scoots narrowly over Alcaraz's racket.
Sinner holds his hand up in apology but he'll be smiling inwardly. 30-all, and I'm calling it: if Alcaraz loses the next point he loses the second set. Guess we''ll never know, as a net cord is the scourge of Sinner this time.
A freebie for 40-30, but he double-faults for deuce. Alcaraz's usual tempo and rhythm looks disturbed here. Sinner wallops it wide, advantage Alcaraz, and the Chatrier crowd swell the noise in support of the Spaniard.
Ooh, nice drop shot, change of pace, Sinner gets there but his response is wide.
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Sinner 6-4, 4-1* Alcaraz
Sinner races to 30-0 up and draws an impressed remark of ‘that was good’ from Formula One driver George Russell, in the crowd on Chatrier. Sinner pulls a cross-court forehand wide and reacts impassively.
Alcaraz side to side, he thrashes one into the net and he's a point away from 4-1 down in the second set. Sinner has taken this match away from him imperceptibly quickly.
Another Sinner errors keep Alcaraz breathing, but Alcaraz grunts desperately into a shot he can't return. Game Sinner.
After an hour and 21 minutes, Alcaraz wins the first two points of a service game.
Still he awaits a first hold to love or 15 though, as Sinner fights back to 40-30 from 40-0 down.
More importantly though, Alcaraz ends the run of five straight games against him and holds for 3-1 in the second set.
Alcaraz not playing with his usual attention to rhythm for the past few games.
The variety of speed and spin in his tennis, which is peerless in the men's game and is Sinner's kryptonite, just isn't there.
