What an incredible two days of tennis we had over the weekend. This year’s French Open was the first time since 1984 that the top two seeds squared off in both the men’s and women’s singles finals.
And, wow, did it deliver.
Men’s singles: (2) Carlos Alcaraz def (1) Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6
This was simply one of the best matches I’ve seen in recent years.
Carlos Alcaraz came back from the brink to defeat Jannik Sinner, saving three championship points in the process. The victory marked the first time in Alcaraz’s career that he came back from two sets down to win a best-of-five match.
His victory also ended Sinner’s streak of 31 consecutive sets won at majors (T-3 all-time). This match is a good reason why Sinner isn’t quite ready to be compared to any of the big three. First, he lacks a huge weapon to win clutch points (like Federer’s serve), and he was clearly gassed towards the end of the match.
And Alcaraz’s freestyle play allows him to take more risks, thus pulling up clutch shots when he needed it most.
It was an incredible final, and the highlight posted above is but a sliver of the level of quality displayed during the 5.5 hour match. Roger Federer said it best. This match had three winners: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Tennis.
Women’s singles: (2) Coco Gauff def (1) Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 6-2 6-4
An equally dramatic, but less quality, match in the women’s final saw Coco Gauff secure her second major trophy at age 21.
To be fair, the conditions were incredibly difficult. Winds were averaging 12mph, with gusts reaching up to 33mph. That makes it very challenging to control the ball, and Gauff handled the conditions far better for Sabalenka.
The Belarusian stormed to a 4-1, 40-0 lead in the first set but totally capitulated from there. The moment seemed too big for her and the conditions too difficult. She hit 70 unforced errors during this match, while Gauff played a far cleaner game.
After a certain point it was clear Sabalenka was playing agaisnt herself more than Gauff, which her American opponent took advantage of.
With Roland Garros now over, we immediately head to the grass (otherwise known as the best time of the season). Alcaraz will head into Wimbledon as the odds-on favourite to defend his title, whereas Gauff faces a much more open field.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Stand!, by Sly & The Family Stone
And now for your links:
The Athletic ($$): “Thomas Frank led Brentford to new heights. It’s no surprise he is the leading contender for Tottenham job”
BBC: “‘Opposite of Postecoglou’ - what could Spurs expect from ‘chef’ Frank?”
Football London: “Who are Thomas Frank’s backroom team? Justin Cochrane, Keith Andrews and who could join Tottenham”