French Open: Alcaraz's victory against Sinner marks the beginning of a rivalry for tennis history

Tennis thrives on great rivalries: Björn Borg against John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova against Chris Evert, Steffi Graf against Monica Seles, Pete Sampras against Andre Agassi: These duels made history and shaped tennis, just as the duels between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal later did.

The final of the French Open ended on Sunday evening with a duel between two players who are likely to dominate the sport for years to come: Carlos Alcaraz won the final against Jannik Sinner after five and a half hours and five sets, successfully defending his Paris title from last year.

Federer and Nadal have contested four finals in Paris: from 2006 to 2008 and again in 2011. They all had one thing in common: the Spaniard ultimately celebrated victory. Nadal has won no fewer than 14 of his 22 major titles in Paris, the last of which came three years ago. The two have also faced each other in several finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Only the US Open has never seen a summit between the two.

Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 22, are no longer new to the tennis tour. And yet, what the two showed in Paris pushed boundaries and will make history. The match ended after five sets in a so-called match tiebreak to ten points. There, the Spaniard held his nerve and converted his first match point. He collapsed onto his back, exhausted and emotionally drained. Has the next Spanish era on the Seine now begun?

It's conceivable. Alcaraz and Sinner will shape the coming years in men's tennis. They are already extremely mature for their age. The Spaniard, in particular, is reminiscent of Nadal, his famous compatriot from Mallorca, and not just because of his Iberian roots. Sinner is a kind of reincarnation of Roger Federer, even if he may lack the elegance of his game that so distinguished the Basel native. But like Federer, Sinner is also a consummate gentleman. With his demeanor and his reserve, many see him as a likeable figure, just as Federer once was.

Alcaraz or Sinner? That's the question that will arise in the coming years. Which of the two will prevail and be more successful remains to be seen. Recent results favor the Spaniard. He has won all of his last five duels with Sinner, including the semifinal victory a year ago at Roland-Garros, also in five sets. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head with 8-4 wins. Sinner has lost more times to no other player.

Sinner has also improved enormously on clay in recent years. He seemed on his way to his first title at Roland-Garros. Sinner led 2-0 in sets and, after 3:43 hours, had three consecutive match points on Alcaraz's serve. But then he showed unusual nerves. His mother, in a fit of foreboding, threw her hands up in the players' box. Sinner missed opportunity after opportunity. Shortly after, Alcaraz broke back and returned to the match.

The final between the two young stars will go down in history as one of the best in recent memory. During Federer's and Nadal's eras, at least, the finals on the Parisian clay court were fairly one-sided affairs. Federer never really got to grips with the Mallorcan's extreme topspin shots. He lost the 2008 final 1:6, 3:6, 0:6. It was one of the heaviest defeats the Swiss has suffered in his career.

This is where the new rivalry differs from that between Nadal and Federer. The two new opponents are on equal footing. Andre Agassi, the American tennis legend who won here himself in 1999 and later presented the trophy, shook his head in disbelief more than once in the stands at the quality of the rallies.

Sinner has missed the past three months of his tennis career due to a doping ban. After testing positive for the banned substance clostebol twice in the spring of 2024, he was able to conclusively demonstrate that the substance had entered his bloodstream through the hands of a massage therapist.

The International Tennis Integrity Authority initially acquitted him, but WADA filed an appeal against this verdict, which was at least partially upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. Sinner agreed with the authorities to a three-month ban, which allowed him to return to the tour in time for the French Open.

For a long time on Sunday, everything seemed to be in Sinner's favor. But Alcaraz has the same fighting spirit that distinguished his role model Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz's body is adorned with various tattoos. Among them, he has three Cs inked on his left forearm. A year ago, after his first victory at Roland-Garros, he said they stood for the Spanish phrase "cabeza (head), corazón (heart) y cojones (and balls)." "My grandfather always told me to focus on those three Cs."

Now he showed that this is more than just a slogan on his forearm. The way he fought his way back into the match against Sinner deserves the utmost respect. The three match points he saved completely turned the tide of the match. Alcaraz suddenly played like a different player. He was quicker on the balls and suddenly made fewer mistakes. At exactly the same age as Rafael Nadal, he won his fifth major title.

At the age of 24, Nadal completed the career Grand Slam, winning all four major tournaments, at the 2010 US Open. At 22, Alcaraz is only missing the Australian Open to reach that milestone. Jannik Sinner has recently won there twice.

A new rivalry after the one between Federer and Nadal seems to be in the works. At the awards ceremony, Jannik Sinner said: "Congratulations, Carlos. You deserve it. Your performance was simply amazing. It's much easier for me to play than to speak. I tried my best, but it wasn't enough." However, the story of the two is far from over.