The final we’ve been waiting for: Alcaraz and Sinner will face off for the French Open title. Who will prevail? Our experts weigh in.
It’s a long-awaited showdown: No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will face off for the French Open men’s title Sunday. The two have combined to win the last five majors, but have never played each other in a final. And, until this point, both have won every final they’ve played: Alcaraz is 4-0; Sinner 3-0.
Who will prevail? Our experts weigh in on how each could pull off the victory.
Rennae Stubbs: Use his athleticism and speed by turning defense into offense and frustrating Sinner into pressing. He must use his variety to move Sinner into parts of the court he’s not as comfortable, especially with his drop shot, and be willing to come in to the net and rush Sinner.
Simon Cambers: Well, he needs to do what he’s done in their four most recent meetings: play well and play to his strengths. Alcaraz leads 2-1 on clay, winning in the semifinals here last year and recently in Rome. He has the edge on the surface, where his forehand gets up high and where he can move his opponents around the court even better than elsewhere.
The rallies will be long and explosive, but his better all-around game — think drop shots, angles, net play — will give him an edge as long as he serves well, certainly better than he did against Musetti in the semis. He will want to make the match physical, too. Sinner is incredibly strong, but keeping up with Alcaraz on clay over four or five hours is something few people can manage, and the Spaniard will run everything down.
D’Arcy Maine: Alcaraz has so much on his side entering this final. Aside from being the defending champion and having the experience of playing in the final at Roland Garros, he has won their past four meetings and their previous two on clay. In his 7-6 (5), 6-1 win in the Italian Open final just three weeks ago, Alcaraz called his performance „one of the best“ he had played and spoke proudly about his ability to remain focused on his game plan until the final point.
He will need to do that same thing again, using his variety and physicality, patiently picking his spots to strike and constantly changing the pace. While Sinner has looked like he hasn’t missed a beat in his return from a three-month suspension, he has yet to play a match more than three sets since the fourth round at the Australian Open.
