The ultimate promotion for our sport: What a final!

What a final on Sunday at Roland Garros! I can’t find words to describe it. I don’t want to think about how hard it must have been for the families and teams of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. It was one of those moments where the most human response is to lament that the two tennis players couldn’t share the trophy ex aequo. Sunday’s match was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final, and at stake was not just lifting the Musketeers’ Cup, but also taking a step further in their fight to determine who will accumulate more titles in these tournaments. For now, the Spanish player leads five to three.

The match far exceeded the expectations set. We undoubtedly witnessed an epic game and one of the best in history. Both competitors battled for almost six hours in an intense fight where they were forced to deliver their best performances virtually at all times. They both ventured less to the net and opted to play from the baseline, injecting great intensity into each of their shots.

The match had moments of extremely high level, alternating lead and excitement until the end. While it’s true that either player could have won, and that luck favored the player from Murcia a bit more this time, it is also true that Carlos demonstrated, once again, his courage, fighting spirit, and excellence as a competitor, showing how he knows how to control his emotions in crucial moments. He managed to elevate his game when everything seemed against him and maintained his focus at all times.

Although Sinner reached the final without dropping a set, I believe the Spanish player was the favorite. His more effective and powerful shots adapt better to clay. Furthermore, we had the precedent of their previous encounters, in which Carlos led seven victories to four.

The defeat for the Italian is undoubtedly a painful one; there is no doubt he will remember it bitterly for a long time. He had three match points after taking a 5-3 lead and 0-40 in the fourth set. The match seemed decided, but at that moment, nerves betrayed him, he played somewhat hastily, and Carlos, displaying great determination, managed to even the score.

Both players clearly demonstrated why they are the two best in the world. In addition to boasting an almost unmatched repertoire of shots, they also stand out for their exemplary attitude. Neither was flustered when the situation turned against them. Carlos continued fighting with the same determination when the match clearly leaned in favor of his rival, and despite wasting many opportunities throughout the match, Sinner did the same in the fifth set.

The final had many similarities with the one played at Wimbledon in 2008 between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. From that day, our sport and the two players who starred in that epic match, played even against a lack of sunlight, gained tremendous dimension. Both tennis players transcended the tennis world and, it can also be said, the sporting one. Their future confrontations began to be followed not just by tennis fans but also by many viewers captivated by their clashes that pitted two opposing styles of play, always based on sportsmanship and composure on the court.

This latest final opens a new chapter that I believe will reflect many of the characteristics that made the Nadal-Federer rivalry so captivating. Although Sinner and Alcaraz have had a journey of about two years, both the tennis landscape and they themselves needed a match like this in Paris: a setting only comparable to the quality of the tennis we saw and the epic conclusion that kept the entire world on the edge of its seat from three in the afternoon until well into the night. Without a doubt, their matches will also transcend the realm of tennis from now on.

Of course, my most sincere congratulations to Carlos for winning this title with an exceptional display. But Sinner also deserves it; he did not fall short in any aspect. Both elevated the sport of tennis with their magnificent displays of fighting spirit, courage, and excellent conduct.