Alcaraz, 22, enters the final as the defending champion at Roland Garros, eyeing his fifth Grand Slam title and a chance to become only the third man this century, after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, to successfully defend the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
Meanwhile, Sinner, 23, ranked world No. 1, seeks his third consecutive Slam title after winning the 2023 US Open and the 2024 Australian Open. He’s unbeaten in Grand Slam finals and has extended his major-winning streak to 20 matches.
While Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 7-4, including a recent win in the Italian Open final, Sinner has been dominant in Paris, reaching the final without dropping a single set. His semifinal victory over Djokovic may have signalled the end of the Serbian legend’s French Open dominance, and perhaps even his career at Roland Garros.
The match also carries extra emotional weight. Alcaraz has acknowledged the intensity Sinner brings, calling him the “best tennis player right now.” The Spaniard knows he must rise to another level to hold off the red-hot Italian. Meanwhile, Sinner, undistracted by the controversy surrounding his brief doping suspension earlier this year (which authorities ruled accidental), has been all business on court.
Both players are unbeaten in Slam finals, but that record will change on Sunday. The winner won’t just walk away with a trophy—they will likely walk into the role of tennis’s next dominant figure.
For fans, this is more than a match; it’s the start of a new era, perhaps the modern-day equivalent of Federer vs. Nadal. And as Novak Djokovic said himself: “Their rivalry is something that our sport needs.”
Get ready. The future of men’s tennis begins now, and it starts on the red clay of Roland Garros.
