"Historic", "extraordinary", "mind-blowing": the final between Alcaraz and Sinner, they will not forget it

From its very first day, this Roland Garros 2025 had made history. With Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the tournament had paid an exceptional tribute to Rafael Nadal, 14 times winner on this Philippe-Chatrier court . Two weeks later, as if to come full circle, another moment of history was written in this very special place. This Sunday, June 8, the final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner turned into a long battle lasting 5 hours and 29 minutes, gripping and indecisive, and which shocked all those who were able to experience it, especially the former stars of French tennis.

"It's not incredible, it's historic. It's extraordinary, mind-blowing," says Henri Leconte, himself a finalist at Roland Garros in 1998. "We all dreamed of having a match like that in five sets, but there... 5:29, this theatrical side where we have Sinner who has three match points at 0-40... What a match! And both of them. They are exceptional."

Amélie Mauresmo, a two-time Grand Slam winner, even took off her tournament director hat for a few hours. "I was a spectator, a fan, a tennis fan," she says. "We experience emotions thanks to sport, to tennis, which are exceptional. I enjoyed it. I had a blast. We were all expecting a great fight, a great match, but it exceeded our expectations."

The match between the Italian and the Spaniard, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, offered an incredible scenario with dozens of twists and turns, ending in a super tie-break in the fifth set and ultimately becoming the longest final in the history of the tournament. "It's quite possible ( that it's the most beautiful final in the history of Roland Garros ), confirms Amélie Mauresmo. With so many twists and turns, match points saved, the level of physical and mental commitment..."

"It's beyond comprehension, there's no rational way to explain it," comments Henri Leconte. "That's the beauty of sport, that's what allows these players to surpass themselves, to be able to accept pain, to be able to manage their emotions."

It's hard to define or find what could have tipped the match in favor of "Carlito," now two-time winners in Paris. "We tell ourselves that nothing can separate them," admits Amélie Mauresmo. "They're so close. (...) The momentum changes a little after the three match points. Carlos trots ahead of Jannik at 5-4. He has a different energy. But Jannik comes back, he has a second wind because physically, they are monsters. And that's how it happens. It had to end like that."

For Henri Leconte, it was perhaps "audacity" that allowed the Murcian to win. "Audacity in important moments," he explains. "To try something against Sinner, who had played fantastic tennis. And then his resilience: he came back even though he was two sets down."

Jannik Sinner may be kicking himself for a while, and he admitted as much as he did when he presented the trophy. "I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight," he ventured with a slight smile before being honored by his opponent of the day. "It's a privilege to share the court with you," Carlos Alcaraz told him.

Aged 23 and 22 respectively, these two should have the opportunity to offer new fierce battles in the coming years. "They're going to see each other a lot, they're going to do a little bit of what the other three did before them," promises Henri Leconte, comparing them to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer. History is in the making.