The Big Two? This Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry is epic

AFTER FIVE HOURS and 29 nail-biting and thrilling minutes, Carlos Alcaraz hit a down-the-line forehand winner and then collapsed to the ground with his hands over his eyes.

Seconds later, he stood up and quickly made his way over to hug Jannik Sinner, with clear mutual admiration seen in their brief embrace.

Alcaraz had emerged the champion in Sunday's French Open final, with one of the most improbable comebacks the sport has ever seen, saving three championship points in the fourth set while down 5-3 for a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) victory. It was the second-longest major final in the Open era, the longest at Roland Garros and first ever at the tournament to go to a fifth-set tiebreak. Though Alcaraz was ultimately the winner, both men left a lasting impression.

"I've been doing this for 30 years, lucky enough to be here -- that's one of the all-timers, easily," said a stunned John McEnroe on the broadcast at the match's conclusion.

For 20 years, three greats -- Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer -- ruled the men's tennis landscape, combining to win 66 major titles. But there has been a shift in recent years. Federer retired in 2022 and Nadal did the same last season. The 38-year-old Djokovic remains, and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros, but he has hinted that his career is nearing its inevitable end.

Many wondered who would step up to fill the void of the Big Three once their reign was over, and a slew of players did what they could to stake such a claim. No one from the next generation, the one born in the 1990s, could consistently prove they belonged there. But Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 22, have quickly established themselves as the heirs apparent.

Sunday's clash marked the first major final between the two, and the first loss with a Slam championship on the line for Sinner, and now there is no debate. Together, the pair have won the past six major titles, and the era of the new Big Two is officially here. This rivalry seems destined to rule the sport for the next decade, perhaps beyond.

"Every match that I'm playing against him is important honestly," Alcaraz said after the final. "This is the first match in a Grand Slam final. Hopefully not the last time. Because I mean, as I said many times, every time that we face against each other, we raise our level to the top."

THE RIVALRY HAS been in the making since Alcaraz's very first match as a professional tennis player.

That's not hyperbole. Playing as a wild card at a Challenger event in Spain, a 15-year-old Alcaraz took on a 17-year-old Sinner, who had also received a wild card. The match went three sets and nearly two hours, with Alcaraz eking out the win.

The handful of fans in attendance for that meeting could see the players' potential, but it would be a few more years before both men would make names for themselves on the ATP Tour.

Increasingly, each meeting between the two became a can't-miss event. Sinner, the strategic clinician with unparalleled and unmistakable groundstrokes, and Alcaraz, the versatile, athletic, crowd-pleasing showman, made for an electric combination -- and sheer entertainment.

Their first match on the tour was a 7-6 (1), 7-5 victory by Alcaraz in the round of 32 at the Paris Masters tournament in 2021. They met again some eight months later in the fourth round at Wimbledon, with Sinner winning in four sets. Weeks later, they battled yet again, but for the first time with a title on the line, at the Croatia Open. Once again, the match went the distance, with Sinner ultimately rallying to claim victory after losing the first set in a tiebreak.

It was their next encounter, however, that would cement their status as one of the next great rivalries to watch. Playing on Arthur Ashe in the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open, with both looking to reach their first major semifinal, the moment was not lost on either. They fought well into the early morning, exchanging one unbelievable feat of athleticism after another. There were seemingly never-ending rallies, drop shots and highlight-worthy moments. After five hours and 15 minutes, Alcaraz escaped with a 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3 win just before 3 a.m. It was the latest finish in tournament history.

The legend was officially born.

"Privilege to call a magnificent 5:15 marathon as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner pushed their limits and each other," Chris Fowler, who called the match for ESPN, posted to social media after its conclusion. "Instant Classic. A transformative tennis event. The future is now."

Added former world No. 27 Laura Robson on X: "Sign me up for the next 10 years of Sinner vs Alcaraz matches. This has been a delight."

Alcaraz's career and profile went into hyperdrive following the victory, as he won the US Open title and took over the world No. 1 ranking for the first time. Sinner's ascent to the top was slower but he continued to steadily progress.

Sinner reached his first Slam semifinal the next year at Wimbledon. Alcaraz won the title, and his superstardom reached even higher heights. Alcaraz won six titles in 2023, including at the one at the All England Club. Sinner earned four trophies, most notably his first at the Masters 1000 level with the title at the Canadian Open. In their three meetings that season, all in semifinals, Sinner won twice.

"Every time we play against each other, I feel like we both try to push each other to the limit," Sinner said ahead of their final meeting of the season. "We hate losing, especially against each other. We have a very good relationship off court -- we are good friends -- but on court, inside you feel a little bit nervous."

But in 2024, the dual domination of the tour officially went into effect. Sinner earned his first major title at the Australian Open to start the year. Alcaraz won the French Open -- defeating Sinner in the semifinals -- and defended his Wimbledon title just weeks later. Sinner took over the No. 1 ranking in June and, despite repeatedly facing a barrage of questions regarding two failed drug tests, secured their joint major calendar sweep by securing the title at the US Open.

"Before, it was like Rafa, Roger, Novak," former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev said after losing to Sinner in the US Open quarterfinals. "Now, [it] is Carlos and Jannik."

SINNER OPENED 2025 by successfully defending his title at the Australian Open, and Alexander Zverev, his opponent in the final, declared him "the best player in the world by far" during the trophy ceremony. Even with a three-month suspension due to his failed doping tests in 2024, no one has come close to challenging him for the world's top ranking.

And no one has won more titles this season than Alcaraz, who won two of the 1000-level clay-court titles ahead of the French Open as well as the 500-level title in Rotterdam in February.

"Carlos is already a legend of this sport, even if he's younger than me," Lorenzo Musetti said after losing to Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final in April. "He's a record-breaker, and on court sometimes you feel, you know, his aura."

Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the Italian Open championship match 7-6 (5), 6-1 in Sinner's first tournament back last month.

But for all of their collective brilliance and success, the one thing they were missing in their growing rivalry was something that had dictated those of the Big Three: a showdown in a major final. Leading into the French Open, there was talk that it could happen, and throughout the fortnight the two appeared to be on a collision course with destiny.

On Friday, Alcaraz defeated Musetti to advance to the final and Sinner then held off Djokovic in three sets. Sinner's victory seemed like a formal changing of the guard -- the end of the Big Three era and the start of the new Big Two.

Even Djokovic, who insisted they were years away from being in the same conversation as himself, Federer and Nadal, couldn't help but recognize the significance of their first meeting for a Slam title.

"They're definitely great for tennis, both of them," Djokovic said Friday. "I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt. The way they are playing and the way they are approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers in the next whatever years, you know. I'm sure that we're going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often."

Amelie Mauresmo, a two-time major champion as a player and now the French Open tournament director, couldn't hide her excitement about their growing rivalry and its impact on the sport Sunday ahead of the final.

"We wonder how it's possible after the era of the Big Three or the Big Four [including Andy Murray], but yes, we might imagine that these players will be there for a long time," Mauresmo said when speaking to the media. "They already have an extremely high level considering their age, and already some incredible wins for their age. Necessarily, we can imagine that they will be there for a long time with an underlying rivalry that will really get the tour going."

WHAT A MATCH POINT 💥#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ocjYQIVUlt

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2025

Alcaraz entered Sunday's match with momentum on his side, a better résumé on clay and a 7-4 head-to-head record. But Sinner, who hadn't dropped a set en route to the final, hardly looked like an underdog at the match's start. Sinner won the marathon first game of the match in 12 minutes and took control early. He won the first two sets and looked to be closing in quickly on his fourth Slam title.

But Alcaraz refused to go away. With a dazzling display of fight and firepower, he fought back to force a fourth set. He then fended off three match points in that set and clawed his way back to force a tiebreak, and then a decider. However, Sinner also wouldn't go away easily. Alcaraz held his own 5-3 lead in the fifth set before Sinner responded in kind.

The two showed few signs of exhaustion even as the minutes ticked on -- and on -- with both players effortlessly moving across the court and exchanging one highlight-worthy point after another. But in the tiebreak, it was all Alcaraz. He ran out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back.

"I can't think of a better Roland Garros final," McEnroe, a seven-time major champion, said after the match. "After all the talk about where tennis goes from here, we lost Federer and Nadal -- and Djokovic, what's going to happen with him? -- it seems we're in pretty good hands with these two guys."

Nadal, who congratulated both players, called it an "incredible ending" to the tournament and a "great battle" in a post on X after the match. The outing trailed only Nadal's 2012 loss to Djokovic at the Australian Open -- a blockbuster lasting five hours and 53 minutes -- as the longest ever in a major final.

Sinner remains the world No. 1, with Alcaraz now 2,030 points behind him -- and an even larger deficit separating both from the rest of the pack.

Alcaraz now has five major titles and Sinner has three. But it seems clear that more hardware and more memorable finals await both. And while the world is buzzing about them and their future in the sport, they still remain publicly humble about what might happen.

Ahead of the final, Sinner was asked if he believed his rivalry with Alcaraz could ultimately be the greatest in the sport's history. Sinner wasn't quite convinced.

Not yet anyway.

"Oh, it takes time. It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no?" Sinner said. "I think only time can tell, to be honest. For sure, from my point of view, he's a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. ... This could be potentially one of these, but there are amazing players coming up. There can be so many different and other players join or one drops. You never know."