Jannik Sinner rises above all. Well, almost… The World No.1 stormed to the French Open final, eyes locked on the title. But Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, snatched victory just in time after a tough match. This was even though Sinner entered the final without dropping a set for the entire tournament. But it was the third set during their clash that changed the whole story. Sinner took the first two sets, 4-6, 6-7(4), but Alcaraz found his form soon and roared back to win the last three sets and the super-tiebreaker, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2).

Eventually, Alcaraz claimed the trophy after five hours and 29 minutes. His head-to-head lead over Sinner grows to 8-4! What’s interesting is that he is the third‑youngest man in history to have won five grand slam titles (following Björn Borg and Rafael Nadal) and also became the eighth man to successfully defend a Roland ­Garros title.

So even Sinner couldn’t help but appreciate the Spanish player’s brilliance. “First of all Carlos congrats. Amazing performance. Amazing battle. Amazing everything. To you and your team, amazing job. I’m very happy for you. You deserve it. Congrats… It’s easier to play than talking now. My team, thank you so much for putting me in this position. We tried our best today. We gave everything we had. Some time ago we would’ve signed to be here. Still an amazing tournament even though it’s very very difficult right now. But it’s ok.”

Similarly, Alcaraz had great words for Sinner and congratulated him for his performance. “Congratulations for an amazing two weeks, amazing tournament. To you, to your team, I know the hard work you’re putting in every day. It’s huge. Honestly, I know how hard you’re chasing this tournament or every tournament. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be champion, not once, but many, many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.”

Well, regardless of the loss, Sinner still tops the ATP rankings.

The loss stings, though. He’s been a back-to-back Grand Slam champion, but the streak ends here. He admitted, “I’m not going to sleep very well tonight, but it’s okay.” His French Open run dazzled initially. He breezed past Arthur Rinderknech. He edged out Richard Gasquet and Jiri Lehecka early on. He crushed Andrey Rublev and Alexander Bublik with ease.

Friday’s semifinal highlighted Sinner’s brilliance. He outplayed 24-time Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3). The win set up a dream final against Carlos Alcaraz. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Now, all eyes are on Jannik. Can he bounce back from this dramatic defeat? Only time will tell. However, what we do know is that both players have deep respect for each other. In fact, even Rennae Stubbs was impressed by Sinner’s sportsmanship after the loss!

Serena Williams’ ex-coach rallies behind Jannik Sinner!

Rennae Stubbs, the former WTA pro who famously guided Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open, rushed to X to back Sinner after his gutsy final speech. She posted, “I won’t ever let anyone say anything badly about this kid! @janniksin is class personified! He’s a good man! This is the hardest speech he will possibly ever give and yet, it’s done with class and a smile.” Her words echoed the admiration many fans felt for the Italian, especially after his heartfelt, honest words following a brutal loss.

Stubbs was blown away by both players. She couldn’t resist a bold idea, tweeting, “It’s amazing how Yannik has now found his first serve and Carlos couldn’t get one in when it mattered. Can they just share the trophy!?? Seriously!” Even with Alcaraz’s win, Sinner’s moments of brilliance shone through. The Italian pushed Carlos Alcaraz hard, even as exhaustion set in after the four-hour mark. He edged ahead, forcing a super-tiebreaker and showing real grit.

Not to mention, Jannik Sinner knew what he was up against. After toppling Novak Djokovic in the semis, he said in his post-match interview, “Sunday is going to be very difficult… I know that, my head-to-heads don’t look great lately against Carlos. So let’s see what I can do.” This time, the surface may not have favored him. But the grass court season is just around the corner, and that’s a whole new game.

Now, the big question: Will Jannik Sinner bounce back and reclaim a win? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!