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Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Marian Bartoli. This is Bianca Andreescu. I'm Mats Villander. This is Mary Carrillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Yannick Noah, and you're listening to The Tennis Podcast. Hello and welcome to Roland Garros and the final daily edition of the tennis podcast from this, the second Grand Slam of 2025 in glorious...
Paris. I'm Catherine Whittaker. Alongside me are Matt Roberts and David Law, who's privilege and burden it is going to be to try and summarise and analyse what we saw in the men's singles final today at five hours and 29 minutes. the longest ever final here at Roland Garros and the second longest in all of Grand Slam history. One from two sets to love down by Carlos.
Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 over world number one Yannick Sinner to claim back-to-back French Open titles and his fifth major crown overall. Matt, David, what just happened? Well, I am very well aware of recency bias, but I think we might just have witnessed the best match of all time. I don't say that lightly. I really don't. The length of it, the undulations of it.
the incredible escape act from Alcaraz, the incredible escape act from Sinna, and then the ultimate victory between... two players playing in a Grand Slam final against one another for the first time the guys that have just won the last five Grand Slam singles titles I could barely believe my eyes and ears as I witnessed what i witnessed yeah a
Tennis match, which will become a reference point in the sports history, that is for sure. That will be one that others are judged against and remembered against. I think Yannick Sinner played an absolutely phenomenal match and yet he didn't win it because Carlos Alcaraz just has an ability to... bend reality towards him and change the direction and the course of something and shift momentum in a way that I've never really seen any.
athlete be able to do any human it's just absolutely it's absolutely remarkable yeah i feel like i've gone i've gone big already on in three minutes in describing him as an extraordinary human compared to all other all others that have ever lived but And, yeah, I don't know. It was absolutely, absolutely remarkable. Like, he saved three match points in a row in the fourth set and won one Roland Garros against Yannick Sinner. And it wasn't a choke.
No. Oh, goodness, no. I don't really remember that sort of thing happening. One of the things that strikes me is the sound of your voice, Matt. You sound sort of... almost deliriously happy. And that is the feeling that I've got from the media room tonight. People are so happy.
that they were here and that they've all experienced it. And people seem to be being nicer to one another. And they're going to be talking about this and referring back to it when they see each other the next time. It's a lovely thing. Yeah, and you might be... able to hear the sounds of some people being very happy in the distant background of this podcast because there is a kind of slightly maniacal joy.
about the place just now. And of course, as they always do, they're also dismantling it around us. They do not waste any time. I mean, if they're ever going to just have a breathing period after a final, it would be this one, but no.
All the deck chairs are down. They're dismantling all of the furniture and all the sponsor hoarding. So if you hear some slightly... odd noises that it is what is going on um we should probably start by explaining the match what happened like the the three acts of it the scenes within those acts
Matt, I sit next to you. I sat next to you in the press box for this one. You take the most extraordinary, diligent... notes during during big matches like this like i just remember vibes i just remember how i remember how i felt i remember i remember carlos putting his finger to his ear but like what actually happened on specific points and how they won and lost disappears from my mind the second they happen.
Your memory and your diligence is unreal. So I'm going to hand over to you to talk the people through it. Well, I think where I would start is by saying that... There was quite a big portion of this match where if you told me then that later in the day we'd be talking about potentially the greatest match of all time and we'd be on this absolute buzz and absolute high. it would have felt hard to believe because certainly for the first set in a bit it was well actually no
The first four games were electric. Half an hour? Yeah, it took 30 minutes to finish four games, and I thought Alcaraz was playing stunningly well. Matt got a cereal bar out after the first game. Literally, that one was... 10 minutes in itself, a sort of lengthy hold of serve for Yannick Sinner. But Alcraz was middling the ball. He was being aggressive, but he was also winning a lot of the long rallies. It was just a really good start to the final. But then he lost his way.
Alcaraz in the the latter half of that first set he lost his serve twice just with errors really gifting the games to Yannick Sinner there was a very weird break as well where he got something in his eye I think and that it just lost Like the match lost its buzz and lost its mood and Alcaraz lost his form. Sinnoh was still playing really, really well.
And we found ourselves with Sinner up a set and up a break. Seven out of eight games, I think it was, because Alcraz had the early break for 3-2, didn't he? And then suddenly he was absent. Yeah. Catherine, you said, where's he gone? Where has Carlos Alcruz gone, having started the match so well?
Sinna took over and Sinna made it the sort of match that he wanted. A lot of sort of up and down, linear hitting, fast twitch, which just Yannick Sinna was just so, so good at. Alcaraz wasn't really able to add the chaos, add the variety. That would come later. But for that point... Yannick Sinner is outplaying him and Alcaraz started to bring some vibes in the second half of that second set. He got the break back. I think that was when he first put his finger to the ear in that second set.
He didn't win the set. Yannick Sinner goes two sets to Laval, and suddenly we're in a position where Yannick Sinner is... i'm thinking this is this match is finishing in straight sets to be honest right there and then because sinner was playing so well Alcarez has never come back from two sets to love down to win a match in his career. Yannick Sin has won 30 sets in a row at Grand Slam tournaments. He's just...
beaten Novak Djokovic the other night. He's seen off the good start from Alcaraz today. I just thought that we were heading for a straight set to win for Sinner, honestly. And he even went up a break, didn't he, at the start of the third Sinner. And then I felt even more sure of it. and well then then everything changed then we entered then we entered the crazy part of the match yeah we we did and i i was
commentating on the second set of that match. And I was really upbeat about it because it was a brilliant set. It was ups and downs. You know, as a commentator, you wanted to be close. It went to the tie break.
but once it was two sets to love my my mom texted me and she said i really hope it goes to four so you get to do another set because i was going to do set number four and i said you know what it's fine if i don't and i really didn't think that i would be commentating on a fourth set i felt the same as you matt and the fact that from love one and a breakdown suddenly alcaraz just turned it on though it's it's as though his body just relaxed
And he just started to connect. Yeah, was there a catalyst? Or did it just come from within, in Carlos Alcaraz? I think it comes from... within doesn't it i mean he he says in his press conference like he genuinely did believe that he could win this match the entire way and i do believe him when he says that i think it was very important that he got the break back
straight away it didn't allow Yannick Sinner to build any kind of lead really in that third set you know the whole it's not it's not a break until you've held and Sinner didn't hold and that you know it doesn't take much for Alcaraz to suddenly be able to turn it on and we've seen him play well in this match it wasn't like he had no form today he had it start lost it but he got it back at a crucial moment in that third set and he started to he started to loop the ball a little bit he started
to play with a little bit more of that variety in that third set. You know, still, when he went to serve out that third set, he got broken, didn't he? And then I was thinking, oh, you know, Yannick Sinner can still wrap this up in straight sets. But then he played a really, really good game to break and win that.
third set and suddenly we're at two sets to one sinner but our crowds had the momentum and we were starting to get because because they've actually gone on for so long at this point we were starting to get everyone was starting to look at the clock you know knowing that yannick sinner
got this record of not having won a match over three hours and 50 minutes. And we were at around the three-hour mark at this point. So, you know, we really did... It looked like it was on, potentially, to reach that point of the match. So suddenly we just had all these...
elements potentially colliding with one another can Alcaraz push it to a fifth where he's got such a good fifth set record can Sinner finish this in four and it was it was at the start of the fourth set when David was commentating that you first said oh I think Sinner physically might just be feeling it a little bit here at the end of a long rally and and then the fourth set took on this incredible life of its own yeah I saw an extended rally where for the first time you saw
sinner just sort of leaned forward on his racket almost as though he was trying to stretch something out and i thought okay i think this might be cramp coming and this is around about the time when we've seen that come before and i actually think Of the many achievements that Yannick Sinner had tonight, one of them was...
was staying with Alcaraz in the middle of that set, in the first six games of that set, and not having Alcaraz go out of sight. He was under pressure, but he was staying with him. And then... To then break and lead was... I thought he'd got him again then as well, because, I mean, obviously, once you go... What did he go up? 5-3, love 40 on Alcraz's serve, but...
I also thought he'd sort of weathered Alcaraz by then. He got through the sort of hurricane that is whipped up by Alcaraz. And he's forging his way through. So... I just find myself thinking, well, how did Alcaraz then extricate himself from that? Yeah, so we have arrived. We have arrived at two sets to one Sinner, 5-3 Sinner. With the break, Alcaraz is serving to stay in the match, 3-5 in the fourth set, and he goes.
Love 40 down. Now, at this point, I've actually left court for you to be chateau because I needed to stretch out my back. I couldn't sit in those press seats any longer. So I was in... I was in the figure four position in the Place de Muscataire, watching from my back at the screen. And behind me were a group, actually a British group. I think they were supporting Yannick Sinner, but they were just generally having a good time.
And they were quite, I think they had a Eurostar to catch anyway. No, they had a Eurostar to catch tomorrow morning, but they were thinking about dinner. you know, normal Parisian things. And at Love 40, they booked a taxi. They called an Uber. I do not know how that saga played out. I presume they got some sort of fee from Uber.
But look, I was with them at the time. I texted Matt and I said, are you OK to bring my stuff down from the Chateau press seats? Because I, you know... There's no need to go back. There's no need to go... Well, I wouldn't have been able to make it back. I thought I had... timed my little you know back stretching exercise so that I would be back in position for the fifth set which at
In the early stages of the fourth set, it kind of felt inevitable because of that Carlos Alcaraz hurricane, you know, but that didn't pan out. I was sending Matt a text saying, well, there's not going to be a fifth set, so are you OK to bring my stuff down from the press seats? and then and then well by the way the noise at this point from the crowd the the chants of Carlos as they're trying to get him back
into it. It was just truly breathtaking in that stadium today. And I had to go back and watch this game because honestly in the moment it was a blur. You know, it went so quickly from Yannick Sinner being on the verge of victory. Basically, everyone's thinking, apart from probably Carlos Alcaraz, this match is... is gonna finish here because it's Yannick Sinner, he's got three match points and it was the second one where he misses a return.
He misses a second serve return with a backhand. He pushes it long. Went for it. Went for it. Whereas on the other two, he maybe played it a little bit safer. And Alcaraz sort of takes over with his forehand on the first one. and Sinner has a mid-court forehand on the third one that he doesn't quite get enough width on. Alcaraz pushes him back and Sinner nets. So suddenly we've gone from three match points to deuce.
in a flash it happened so quickly then Alcrest hits an ace out wide and then he hits an enormous forehand down the line just the thing is mega and he sort of Sort of struts back to his chair, Alcaraz. Swaggers. Yeah, the stadium is in frenzy, you know, honestly. But I must say, Catherine then texted me, hold or break here, Yannick Sinner coming out.
I said hold. I had big decisions to make about how quickly to try and run up quite a lot of stairs. Meanwhile, I'm commentating on this and I've just given it the biggest sell that you could possibly give it. Left the silent... for the crowd to fill in the gap and give you the punctuation and then describe the swagger back to the chair. And then it suddenly occurred to me, oh, he's still actually a breakdown. Yeah.
I'd almost forgotten. But it's Yannick Sinner. And even with everything that's going on around him, even with Carlos Alcaraz having just hit that enormous forehand. Honestly, I was still thinking he was going to hold. This is his moment to... to dance in that pressure storm and okay he went love 15 down but then he played an amazing point having to hit multiple overheads to finish the point because Alcaraz was defending everywhere
And he so calmly won that one, I thought, he's OK. He is OK. I still think he's going to serve this out. But then Alcaraz did some absolutely ridiculous things in the game. and gets the break back.
and suddenly we have parity in that fourth set and the place is just going mad and it was interesting to me how like now the shoe was on the other foot for Alcraz because you know this was obviously a closer match and way more sort of heightened crowd but Alcraz had been the guy in the Wimbledon final last year who'd had the triple match points not been able to take it and he's got Novak Djokovic coming at him and suddenly it was a bit like oh
If he doesn't take those match points, can Novak Djokovic get back into this match? And I remember then the key game for Alcaraz being when he held to take it into a tiebreak. And that's what Yannick Sinner... He takes it into a tie-break. So then I'm thinking, he's OK again. Because he's done that. He's done that tight game. But Alcaraz... went a mini break down in that tiebreak so again Sinner is really really close to finishing this match in four sets Alcrest hit two aces
back-to-back in that time, which was a really notable moment to me. Because he doesn't hit a lot. He doesn't hit a lot. And it was a kind of, it was a really big moment because it just took... took some of the sting out of the match and it was two points that were just easy for him aces which he doesn't do a lot
I think it probably rocked Sinner a little bit. I think Sinner would have felt like he had a chance on the Alcres serve to win points in that tiebreak. So I thought that was a massive moment, Alcres' serve coming out in that tiebreak. And then he ended up winning.
that tie break and again it's a little bit of a blur to be quite honest even though I make these notes like there's so much going on around you there's people standing up there's people chanting Alcaraz's just smiling and putting his finger to his ear and you're just drawn to those scenes you're trying to keep an eye on yannick sinner like how
How crestfallen is he in this situation? And then it's like, oh, my God, we've got another set of this. And then Sweet Caroline started up. Right. I'm telling you, the DJ wanted Carlos Alcaraz to win that match. It felt like he'd won in that moment. They were playing a victory song. Sweet Caroline is not a mid-match song. No. Not in that sort of scenario anyway. But I think it comes back to what I said at the start.
Everybody was high. Everybody was just so excited and happy except poor old Yannick Sinner who slumped into his chair and I don't know how he came out for the fifth set. and actually believed he could win because he's the guy who's never won a match that's gone beyond three hours and 48. We're now into the, what, fifth hour of it? Yeah. And... He has already been cramping. He's been gozzling pickle juice at sit-downs, and it would have been so easy for him to just fade away in that.
In that fifth set, he went to break down. And he went to break down and he limped back to the chair after an Alcaraz drop shot. I mean, Sinner... He looked gone. He looked so frail. I thought that was the match. over the way he walked back to his chair after that. Yeah. And actually, I don't think he lost this match physically.
He was adamant that he didn't in his press conference. And I agree. He said, I was okay. He said, I felt tired, but he was tired. Yeah. I think the difference is that Alcrez... He knows that he can rely on that fifth set record. It is a strength for Carlos Alquez in a way that it isn't a strength yet for Yannick Sinner. But given the tennis that he played in that fifth set... I don't think this was about Alcaraz winning it physically, you know, and...
Sinner had that match to win in four and we wouldn't have been talking about the physical record. And given the Tennessee played in that fifth set, I don't think it was that either. It was something other than that. I agree. I feel like the tennis that Sinner played from a breakdown and using his racket as a walking stick needs some...
attention and flowers before we kind of move on to the big Carlos Alcraz crescendo because I was stunned by what he produced from that position. It might not have been quite as dramatic in as much as it was.
It wasn't three championship points in a row, but it was just as heroic what Yannick Sinner did. Because although I think you... he he lasted the course physically i mean he was beaten up really he was and he's also had to stomach this disappointment this is the thing just imagine how you would feel you're winning the match
You're on the cusp. You've got three championship points. You've just been destroying everybody. And all you've got to do is put one... one perfect shot in and it's not like he didn't put good shots in he produced and yet it didn't end up him getting over the line so to come back in the fifth set a breakdown when it's Alcaraz the guy who's won 12 out of 13 fifth set matches and find a way to to then get it back to parity My admiration for him is so, so sky high. The way he handles himself.
They're just such a credit to themselves, both of them. It's just a joy to be able to be in the same stadium as them and get to watch this. I'm glad I'm alive right now. It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive. David set you up for that and he didn't even know it. That was beautiful. That's how synchronised we are. Sinner had breakpoints at 2-1.
in in the fifth set and he in the 3-2 game he got pretty unlucky with a what i think was a really bad call you know the serve was out in this point and sinner i think knew it maybe could have stopped the point but anyway that was a 30 all at 3-2 but then it took until 5-4 with Alcres serving for the match at this point for Sinner to get the break back and in that game the shot I wanna shout out is sinner
getting to an Alcaraz drop shot. An Alcaraz that had played the drop shot so perfectly, he just stood still, assuming he'd hit a winner. He should have followed it in and not given Sinner the chance to counter it with a drop shot of his own. But I think you're right.
I think he just thought, there's no way that guy can get this back. It's my perfect drop shot. No human can get to that. Certainly not after five hours. Not even I'd get to that. Sinner did. He got there and he just made it stop on a dime. I remember my reaction to that. I just said, no way! It was ridiculous. And that led to him helping to get the break back and get it back level in the fifth. And then, actually, it was Alcaraz. who was hanging on before the tie break.
Alcaraz had to then serve at 5-6 after Sinner had held. What a game that was. And that was the game. Alcaraz was asked in the press conference, you know, moments that he'll remember. And he said it's not actually... the match point saves. He said, I'll remember that game, the 5-6 game in the fifth set. He said, because they were great shots. I think he was a little bit disappointed that the match point saves.
weren't winners from him you know he prides himself on going for it and hitting winners but The 5-6 game, Alcaraz hit an absolutely ridiculous shot at the start of it. A stop volley off a Sinner pass that Sinner had launched at him. That was the hardest forehand of the day. And it was right at Alcaraz's... chest and he had the hands to just kill it
Self-defence and a perfect drop shot. Then Sinner hit a ridiculous half volley off his toes as a little drop shot to go 15.30. He's two points away now. What else happened in this game? Well, the backhand pass from Alcaraz, the final shot of the game. After that much time to have that strength in your legs on the stretch to be able to slide into a shot and hit a perfect passing shot. It's one of the best shots.
I've ever seen. Unbelievable. And then we're in a tie break. The first ever 10-point tie break to decide a Grand Slam final. Like, perfect. And then I'm still not sure what happened in that tie-break, other than that Alprez played otherworldly tennis. Just went into overdrive. Again... Sin is not playing badly at this point, right? He won, what, three points in the tiebreak? But he's not playing badly. It's just he's playing something unstoppable.
Yeah, I've just got Alcaraz winner, Alcaraz winner, Alcaraz locked in, winner, backhand line, massive Alcaraz winner. Ridiculous. He went seven love up. Oh, it's unbelievable. And then he won it on a winner. Yeah. With that running forehand passing shot and then fell on his back.
It all in one movement. He went from forehand follow through to collapse. I'm glad he won it on a spectacular... he is as well i want to watch this match again immediately and that i think that was what made it so brilliant like the tennis got better as the occasion and the drama got bigger and like that is when you that's when you're in the realm of like really really special like it was
Everyone was nervous, everyone was into it, and yet no one could believe what they were seeing because they were just hitting these ridiculous shots, literally bringing the best out of each other. I remember saying early in this match that I was worried.
that their US Open match, which we always refer back to, had maybe broken the rivalry. Because playing a match like that so early on... They can't live up to that. They can't live up to it. We've come to expect that from all of their matches. And yet...
You know, how could we get that? Well, we got it today in that final period today. That's what the US Open match was like. And this was in a grandstand final with everything on the line. It was spellbinding what they were bringing out of each other. Okay, that's what happened. There's a lot still to get into, what it means, what the future looks like. Before that, we are going to take a break. See you in part two.
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Enjoy business class roaming across the EU. Search 3Business today. Additional £1.50 per SIM when you buy three or more SIMs on a 24-month plan, excluding 20% VAT. Fair use policy applies in GoRoom destinations. Terms apply. Folks, welcome back to part two of the tennis podcast where we're going to continue talking about the same thing. It's ten minutes past midnight. We're... We're in no hurry to get to bed. We could sit here all night, I think, and bask in...
bask in the glow of this. I think Alcaraz has just actually been doing his Champions photo shoot just about 100 metres away from where we're sitting right now, which is unusual because usually that photo shoot would happen the next day. Yes, last year... His champion's photo shoot was he was in a suit and he was inside a completely empty chaturier.
And it actually looked a bit weird, I thought. But Alcaraz is choosing to do it tonight. And I think that's because he's got a jet on standby with all his mates on it waiting to take him to Ibiza. Oh, yeah. He's off to Ibiza. And good luck to him. Just keep safe, Carlos. Yeah. Yeah, and he's proven that he can go to Ibiza and come back and win Wimbledon. So his team can't say to him, no, Carlos, it's a bad idea to go to Ibiza. That's living life, isn't it?
He said he thinks this is the most special match he's ever played in. Do you think this is the most happy he's ever been after a win? Let's try and imagine what it must feel like to be Carlos Alcaraz right now. I can't. I mean, exhausted. But no, I mean, he, I think maybe the most satisfied that he's ever been. I think he was...
When I think back to the Grand Slams we've seen him win, I think beating Djokovic in the final of Wimbledon to win his first Wimbledon was just as high as you could get. But now he's playing his... his rival, his contemporary, who he hopes to have a 10-year rivalry against and who pushes him like nobody else. I mean, I think obviously Djokovic does, but Djokovic is...
is a different kind of player because he is from the other generation. Somehow he's miraculously managed to stay alive in this generation for a little while. But I think... To go this long and to take the best of Yannick Sinner, I really feel Sinner did himself justice. One thing I really liked about Sinner tonight is how much he went for it all the way through. He was more... quite like Alcraz in terms of the way he went for it. I didn't feel like he just played it safe really.
And so for Alcrest to rescue that and to stay so true to himself, there was something that Juan Carlos Ferreira said, that when he looked at Carlos, when Carlos was 3'5", love 40. Carlos just shook his racket at him that way that he does. Just that little flicker. You don't see it on the TV coverage. I've watched it back. But one Carlos Ferrer said, I knew he still had a chance because he shook his racket at me. And...
I knew that that means I'm going to go for it. And that's what Carlos Alcaraz said in his press conferences. It's kind of simplified for him. He always goes for it.
There's no worry about mistakes. He goes for it. And so to come through that against his... generational rivalry because because rival because I think that that's who it's going to be I look around and there are other great players there's going to be other players come along but these two are so special so I think he will remember this one forever Yeah, I know there is and has been for two or three years now a clamour to replace Federer and Nadal, right? And...
Djokovic, Nadal, obviously Djokovic is still hanging on, but those rivals disappearing from the sport left such a... chasm and I understand the rush to try and fill it but also some things are irreplaceable and look I'm not saying they are Federer and Nadal yet but this is the real thing this is something incredibly special and it's
It's another reminder of the most beautiful thing about sport and this sport in particular. I mean, I'm biased, but I think this sport in particular and the way it renews and... constantly feels fresh yeah there are lulls you know there's the odd lull not every Grand Slam is going to be as good as this one but there will be another French Open next year it's going to be sad to leave Paris tomorrow but
All being well, touch wood, we'll be back next year. And the French Open will definitely be back next year. And one day Alcaraz and Sinner will have retired, but someone will come along. in their shoes and it's it's the most revitalizing comforting thing in a world that's full of uncertainty and endings and death and misery like Tennis will come back and it will be great. Yeah. And we knew that before tonight, but it's a welcome reminder.
You make the sort of gentle comparison there to Federer and Nadal because we're all sort of mindful that those guys did it for a decade and a half, two decades, you know, and this is the start. But in terms of ingredients... They have the ingredients that Federer and Nadal, Borg and Macero had. The fact that they really like each other.
And they both are high on the rivalry as well. I love that. I love the fact that they're both intoxicated by it. And Charlie Eccleshare wrote in The Athletic about how... Alcraz really does need Sinner. He needs him to get up for this and to be the man, to be his best self, and we saw that today. Are they equally intoxicated by it? Do you know, I think that they are...
In terms of enjoyment, I don't think Sinner is the same personality as Alcaraz. I don't think his game is going to drop off if Alcaraz isn't around. We've seen that. Alcaraz has lost at the Australian Open, at the US Open. Sinner's going to mop them up. He's more... I don't want to say professional, that's not fair, but he's more level. He's going to keep producing a performance pretty much no matter what, as long as he's fit.
You can't be guaranteed that with Alcaraz. He's going to have highs that nobody can match because of his skill set and also his inspiration. He plays inspirational tennis. But you need to be inspired. to play that to for him to play that way sinner doesn't i think he loves the rivalry i think he
There's a little moment, I think, when they first played each other in Paris-Bercy at the net where Sinig says, I hope we get a chance to play more together. You know, it's really sweet. And I think he really likes Carlos. I think he really appreciates what he was part of. of tonight but my god did he make it clear how much this is going to hurt and and said i'm going to struggle to sleep tonight
And look, I think he'll be fine because he's Yannick Sinner and he's such a well-adjusted human being. He will be able to kind of philosophise this into okayness and actually into a... into something positive in the long run but i have never seen him like he was tonight i've never seen him hurt
like that and how we got through that ceremony and the various VTs they play before they invite them up onto the stage. I thought that was... incredibly impressive and actually there was a moment right at the end of his speech where the crowd stopped to give him an ovation and I thought he was kind of breaking there and maybe he was we were up in the stands we didn't have a
a um a tv monitor to show us the close-ups maybe maybe he did break a little bit there but yeah i've i've never seen him anywhere close to like that before no me neither and you know Obviously, it's of a different type of hurt, but considering that we've seen him go through what he's gone through in the last year, in terms of... the ban and all the Spotlight on him. This was a very this was different, you know, this was you could obviously because it was
physical as well as emotional and mental. He looked exhausted, I thought, in the press conference. His eyes looked red and his face looked red. And he said that he wants to try and delete everything, but also take the positives and keep going. And that, I do believe he will do that. And Alcaraz said it in his press conference as well. He knows that...
The most likely thing that's going to happen from this is Sinner gets better as a result of it. That's what rivals do to one another. And I have to believe that this will be like those other rivalries where that keeps happening. It is interesting the position we find ourselves in now. We talked a bit before this tournament, does Sinner have an Alcaraz problem? He's now 47-0.
in his last 47 matches against people not called Carlos Alcaraz. And he's 0-3 against Carlos Alcaraz. You know, that's his last 50 matches. And yet... It's tough to look at the match today and think that there's some big problem there. There wasn't a match-up problem for him today. We were so close, so close to be talking about this being a...
very, very efficient, impressive win for Yannick Sinner in three or four sets. And the reason we're not talking in those terms, I don't think is because of a match-up thing, even a... Sinner can't close against Alcaraz. I just don't think that's what this was. This was something else. Something I can't explain. Everything came together.
for this to happen. I think that there may be Grand Slam finals in the future and matches between these two that Sinner does win routinely, relatively speaking, because Alcraz has an off day and can't quite... make the escape act happen you know we've seen him lose
pretty heavily at Grand Slams before, obviously this year to Baltic van der Zanschel, or last year. But I'm thinking of the match against Verev last year in Australia. You know, one of these days, I think Sinner will get him on a day where he's... where he doesn't have that anymore. It doesn't all come together. And his measured level approach will just probably win quite straightforward. Yeah, I think that's a really good take. Like, Senna's going to get him.
Alka, I said that in press today. He said, I'm not going to always beat him. And there may be some duffer finals. Yeah, and I think if anybody's going to beat the other one in straight sets, it's going to be Yannick Sinner. But in terms of...
The Yannick Sinner, does Yannick Sinner have a Carlos Alcaraz problem? I do think Yannick Sinner might have a, like, in long matches, Carlos Alcaraz problem. Like, I will, until I see something to... show me a different universe, I will always back Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. against Yannick Sinner. Not because I think Sinner lost it physically today, I thought. He was as good physically as anybody really can be expected to be after five hours and 29 minutes.
It's that Alcaraz's ability, particularly against Yannick Sinner, who brings out the best in him, to change the temperature in a room, in an arena. It is like... It's like he's one of the X-Men. Like, it is absolutely ridiculous. It's like he can bend the space-time continuum. And as incredible as Yannick Sinner is, he doesn't have that.
I'm not sure anybody else has that. I've never seen that before. No, I agree with that. And if he's in a situation where he's bringing that out of Carlos Alcaraz... I'm going Carlos Alcraz every time. And there's no real way for Sinner to replicate what he's coming up against. with Carlos Alcaraz it's not even like he's going to be in a position where I think he is going to like build up a five-set record in the way that Carlos Alcaraz has because
He's so much better than everyone else. He doesn't need five sets to beat them. He's beating them in three sets all the time. He's beating everyone else. And it's only really against Carlos Alcres where he's pushed in this way. And he's responding to it really well today. He played a great match and yet Alcres still had something else, something extra in that. Well, in the biggest moments. And, yeah, I do wonder, like, with Alcrest winning this, it's almost like...
less has changed than if Sinner had won it. Like, I think if Sinner had won it, we'd be talking about, you know, oh, he's got, he's beaten Alcaraz on clay. Three in a row. He's won three in a row. Drawing level with him. Exactly. He's going for a... you know, a Cineslam and a career slam at Wimbledon, whereas now it kind of feels like where we were going into it was, well...
Alcaraz has been the better of the head-to-head. We do back him on this surface. We do back him in long matches. You know, like, in that sense, we sort of didn't have that many questions answered today, I suppose. We got a lot of... confirmation and yet to reduce it to that feels feels like you're sort of taking out the magic of the match um but yeah that's just something i've been thinking about in terms of like what this means big picture
for the sport like i don't think it shifts the narratives that we already had all that much other than like maybe they're even better than i thought Yeah, I mean, Carlos Alcaraz's aura now in five set tennis matches is, I mean, it feels impenetrable. Obviously, things can change quickly.
But right now, I know he lost that one to Matteo Berrettini, but that does feel separate. It doesn't count. It feels like it doesn't count. It feels to me like... That was the first one, wasn't it? The Carlos Alcaraz, we... and that is winning Grand Sam titles, has never lost a five-set tennis match. And there's...
quite a big sample size now. And he's used it to win his Grand Slam titles. There's so many played on that run to the 2020 US Open title, 2022 US Open title. He needed it against Novak Djokovic. He needed it back-to-back here last year to beat Sinner and Zverev. He's using it as a weapon at the last stages of slams. And it just feels like he's playing by different rules for that. reason players are going in knowing now maybe not a conscious thought but
Everybody knows this record. Carlos Alcaraz knows this record. Players are going in thinking, I've got to do this in four. And if Yannick Sinner does have any problem with Carlos Alcaraz, I think the only one is that. yeah i need to get him before we go that deep now
you may say, well, actually, hold on a minute. Sinner was right there until that final set tie break after five hours and 20 minutes. So he hasn't got that much of a problem. But in the back of the mind, I wonder whether there will be just that.
If I could just win it in straight sets of four, you know, that's my best chance. That certainly is his best chance, isn't it? But I still back Sinner to win one of these one of these days in that kind of... circumstance because I don't think he blew it today I really don't no god no which is unreal isn't it he was he had three match points in a row and okay one was an unforced error but
I don't think he blew it either. It barely missed. The one that was the unforced error barely missed. And he went for it. Yeah. He went for it. We can't have this fortune favours the brave narrative. without acknowledging that Yannick Sinner was brave in that moment. And bravery is only bravery because a lot of the time it's not going to work out. You can only have the one winner, the number of people.
Chris Everett, my mum, everybody I heard from was saying, can't you just give them both the trophy? It feels like they both deserve it. And I mean, look. Absolutely, Carlos Alcaraz ultimately deserved it. But I had no problem with Yannick Sinner being spoken of in that way tonight. And that's it. He is getting better, Yannick Sinner. the the performance he put in today compared to the one he put in against Alcarez a year ago in the semi-finals like
There's just parts of his game which have improved in that time and he pointed to that in his press conference saying that that can be a big thing he can take from this. He's had this new return position.
this this tournament which i don't think we've talked about but you know a little sort of subtlety that he is obviously trying and thinking can bring out more in his game one of the things that struck me today was how well he hit his forehand on the run you know when he was stretched out to that forehand side the number of times he would just leather the ball and just change
the rally, either hit it for a winner or get on top of the rally from a defensive position. That was a lot better than it had been last year, I'm sure of it. I really think last year Alcaraz was able to exploit that movement from Sinner out wide. especially on a clay court, but he couldn't today. Sinner was hurting him with that shot. And I'm sure there are many other aspects that I haven't noticed as well. Like Sinner is...
constantly getting better as well. I've noticed, and I did in the Rome final, which was a very different leveled sinner generally, but in that first set, he was sort of like the boxer coming out in the first round against a big puncher and trying to take... take their head off. He was really going after the ball in a way that he was looking to hurt early. And I think that that's an interesting development. Not that he's never not been aggressive, but...
There's an extra level to it now. So he's never lost a best of five set match. Sorry, Matteo Berrettini, to erase you from history. I know he has lost one, but, you know. And he's never lost a Grand Slam final. That's 5-0. The only other male player that's won their first five is Roger Federer. When's he going to lose one?
Well, I think against Sinner. Because all the Grand Slam finals are going to be Sinner and Alcaraz? Yeah. Yeah, probably. It's so hard to see. I mean, what must Novak Djokovic have been thinking watching that? Probably, well, that is what I used to be able to do. And look, in the very recent history, I mean, I...
I still say he was not that far away from Yannick Sinner the other night, and he beat Carlos Alcraz at the start of this year. So he ain't that far away still. I still think Djokovic has a real chance at Wimbledon. I do. OK, well, similar question but different. What was Alexander Zverev thinking watching that? Because he constantly puts himself in a bracket with them, doesn't he? Sorry, he's nowhere near. Nowhere near. And...
And none of the others are, really. Jack Draper's an incredibly good tennis player. He's improving all the time. He might be able to muscle into a kind of occasional... big three, big four type situation with them at times, but this is different gravy. Listen, these two play to their potential, their head and shoulders above everybody else who's not named Novak Djokovic, but he's 38. However...
I don't think it's a given that Carlos Alcraz always plays like this. He does stumble. He could end up losing to somebody who makes you go... What's happened there? I mean he didn't always play like this today. Look at this growth, David. I feel like last time we were feeling like this after a Grand Slam final, you went 12 in a row. I've been burned, Matt Roberts. And I've been drinking that night. And I've stopped drinking altogether now.
No, but you're right. Like, obviously, all the Grand Slam finals aren't going to be Alcaraz against Sinner because, well... They just can't be. Things will happen. There's every chance the next couple could be if they play to their potential. Yeah, and I do think, given how great Sinner is and, you know... On a hard court, I do think Sinner maybe has a little edge at the moment. I've got to think that Sinner gets him. But it...
It is fascinating and it is reminiscent of a sort of 2008-2009 period in the Federer and Nadal rivalry where they were meeting a lot in Grand Slam finals. And this was...
For me, this was probably the best men's Grand Slam final since the 08 Federer and Nadal. I think the narrative of that one, the way it cinematically finished in the dark and... you know the the very clear distinct contrast of styles that they had like for me that one stands apart maybe still even even with this one that we've just seen but then like
They then went and played another classic at the Australian Open a few months later. And I can feel that something like that might happen here. This is always going to be hard to beat because of the drama of it and the quality in those final stages.
I feel pretty confident that we've got another Sinner Alcarez great Grand Slam final around the corner. I don't know whether it's Wimbledon, I don't know whether it's the US Open, Australia, but I feel like it's going to be one of them. I feel like they're going to have another... mini classic. Yeah, and it's not like expectations and hype will be high for that at all after today, is it? And yet they managed to like...
Live up to the hype and then some today. To exceed the hype that I gave it on this table last night. Pretty good going. What an absolute gift of a tennis match. A gift of a weekend here at Roland Garros. Combined, those two finals. I think, best ever finals weekend that I've experienced anyway. Yeah, I'd agree. And I think it does make this tournament as a whole one of the great Grand Slam tournaments that we've had the privilege of being.
Okay, that is it for part two. We do have a few more important bits and bobs to discuss. We'll probably end up talking some more about Sineral for us. Maybe on every podcast forevermore. But that's it for part two. Join us in part three. That's the sound of my customers leaving. When your broadband doesn't work, neither does your business. Will Sky Business keep me up and running, no matter what? With 4G backup and our Stay Connected guarantee, better believe it.
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From £9 per sim when you buy 20 bus sims on a 24-month plan, excluding 20% VAT, unlimited UK only. Fair use policy applies in GoRome destinations. Terms apply. Welcome back to part three of the tennis podcast, this final daily tennis podcast from Roland Garros 2025. It is now 36 minutes past midnight.
Most people have scattered. There are still some people clearing things away. I wonder if Carlos Alcaraz is still on the premises. Has he boarded his plane to Ibiza? What do we think? Not yet. There are so many loose... aren't there for these people to talk well it's been about three hours something like that and yeah it carries on probably having a photo shoot in the locker room
He does a good ball kid photo shoot, doesn't he? I've seen that one. Yeah, the images have dropped from that. You're going to enjoy them. That's a vibe, isn't it? Let's go. And the goth ones yesterday. great as well. Yes, they were. I've seen those actually. Incredible. Speaking of vibes, the day started with one last vibeless death slot for some female tennis players on Chatrier.
incredible Sarah Irani and Jasmine Paolini be Anna Danilina and Alexandra Krunic, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in the women's doubles final. It's a first Grand Slam trophy for Irani. In my head, they'd won some, but of course, it was the Olympic gold last year that they'd won. So both their crowning moments as a team have come on.
court Philippe Chetre second title of the week for Sara Rani of course she won the mixed with Andrea Vavasori and they had lost the the women's doubles final here last year so really nice kind of you know, full circle moment for them. And you watch some of this? Yeah, I watched the final set of it. Wonderfully competitive match and actually similar. celebrations from the Pauline Irani team.
with their sort of family and friends and their support team, as we saw from Carlos Alcraft, who, by the way, when he went up to the player box, I noticed he sort of hurtled himself into Juan Carlos Ferreira and almost rugby tackled him. And it was very similar with...
with irani and paulini it was beautiful great speech as well by alexander krunich uh who's who's a very amusing person when she gave her speech she said thank you to the physios for looking after my middle finger which needed some treatment It wasn't because I kept raising it to people, I promise.
I'd forgotten Alexandra Krunic existed before this week, and here she is in a Grand Slam final. Well done to Sara Arani and Jasmine Paolini. What a vibe they are in the men's doubles final. That was taking place last night. when we were recording the podcast, it was another maiden Grand Slam title. Actually, an incredible story. Marcel Grano is Horatio Zabaios beat Joe Salisbury and Neil Skubski 6-love-6-7-7-5. in this final. First Grand Sam title together six years after they first partnered.
That is really good going and good on them for sticking together. They've had success in that time, but they've lost three major finals in that period together as a team. Most teams wouldn't have stuck it out. And I think that's a really incredible story. And they were, I mean, they were so emotional. It was, yeah, the photos from that are quite something. And, sorry, Carlos Alcaraz, but...
Everybody's saying Horatio Zabaios hit the shot of the tournament at three all in the decider of that men's doubles final. I think it's great, but not shot of the tournament. But look. I'll let Horatio Zabaios have it. Yeah, sure. Because Carlos Alcaraz doesn't need it, does he? It was an around the net post. Yeah, and he squeezed it between the net post and the little sponsor box.
that they have so the gap is tiny and it went you know very low and in between those two things it was a great shot it was a great shot you you can have it Horatio and folks that is it That is a wrap on Roland Garros 2025. We do have some important things still to discuss. One, a big announcement. Are you ready? Yeah. I mean, you do know this news David. I've forgotten it.
We can announce that tickets for our New York live show on Thursday the 21st of August, that is the Thursday before the US Open. will be going on sale this week. The venue is the Gramercy Theatre on East 23rd Street. I am so excited about this venue. I cannot begin... to tell you it's like a quintessential New York theatre on the Lower East Side and...
It's going to be magical. It is going to be absolutely magical. Now, the Friends pre-sale window starts this Wednesday, the 11th of June at 9am Eastern Standard Time. And then the general ticket sale will start on Friday. the 13th of June at the same time. We do expect, hope, expect tickets to sell out. So the pre-sale is the best way to guarantee your ticket. We really are.
so excited about this one. The New York Live show last year was one of the most incredible nights of my life, quite frankly, and I think... All of us. I'm going to speak for you two as well. I think we all had a good time. It was the best. Pam and Mary on stage together. Amazing. There was a high five. It was it was incredible. And yeah.
It's going to be good, folks, and the venue really is incredible. So we will put the link in our show notes. It'll go on our Instagram. You won't struggle to find it, put it that way. And yeah, if you want to guarantee your ticket, the best way to do that is to become a friend of the Tennis Podcast and get access to that pre-sale window. It is one of many reasons to become a friend of the pod. Others include ad-free listeners.
listening access to the barge we broke our record both yesterday and then again today for numbers of comments on a thread and we broke it but i mean it was the bar it was incredible The barge might be broken. Yeah, do enjoy the barge, but... Yeah. Don't break it. You get access to our monthly live show. It's available as a podcast, but we also do them live on YouTube. The next one is a week on Tuesday. And can I tell...
Can I tell the people what it's going to be? Go on. Yeah. So one of our most recent Friends specials was Catherine and David's Tales from the Champions Tour. And though I say so myself, it was... quite a hit that show wasn't it fun and We're going to do Catherine David's and Matt's Tales from Queens during Men's Queens Week. So it'll be on a week on Tuesday. What date is that? The 17th. Tuesday, the 17th. of June we have stories folks yep
Yeah, we have stories. So that's coming a week on Tuesday. We also have eight editions of Tennis Relived every year for Friends of the Tennis Podcast. And we have our Grand Slam review shows. These are shows we record a couple of days after every... single Grand Slam tournament which are kind of more considered reflections on the fortnight as a whole and they feature voice notes from some of our and hopefully your very favourite people with
their thoughts about what we've all just spent the last two weeks watching and what it all means. And they are some of our very favourite shows. And we'll be recording our Roland Garrison on Wednesday. Our requests for voice notes have gone out. And I feel pretty confident that they're going to be...
Pretty amazing. So yeah, lots of reasons, hopefully, to become a friend of the Tennis Podcast. We're recording that show on Wednesday. So if you do become a friend, only a couple of days of Grand Slam hangover to get... through before we're back in your podcast apps and if you do fancy becoming a friend the link is in our show notes folks we have a mascot For this episode, imagine being the mascot for this episode. Bernie, you've had to wait five hours, 29 minutes for this plus.
All the faff afterwards, plus the hour and 15 minutes of us recording this podcast, plus all the edits while the trolleys pass by. But Bernie, this is your moment. Bernie is a four-year-old beagle cross... Cavalier. Never seen one of those crosses before and I'm obsessed. Oh, actually, no. Beagle crossed Cavalier with something else mixed in to give him his long legs and body.
He's obsessed with chasing and catching bees, has been stung in the mouth multiple times, but it hasn't put him off the pursuit. Bernie is owned by Meg. So thank you, lovely Meg, for bringing Bernie into our lives. This is just a...
truly joyful picture he's got his head through an open window there's a lovely kind of summer scene outside there are daffodils it's all very springtime and just delightful and I've yeah I've never seen a Beagle Cavalier cross and I like it very much so thank you Bernie Thank you, Meg. Thank you, Phoebe. Thank you, Maisie. Thank you, Roger. Thank you to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris and Jeff. And thanks in advance to our shout-outs, Matt, who are...
Just the one shout-out tonight, a special end-of-tournament shout-out for Jule from Amsterdam. Hello, Jule. Hi, Jule. And Jule also wants to give a shout-out to his girlfriend Zoe. Hello, Zoe. And they've been visiting Roland Garros every year since 2021. And this year they left Amsterdam at 6am last Sunday.
drove for four and a half hours to get here for the start of play and Yule just sent this lovely note which is a sort of tribute to... the pods and to his girlfriend Zoe he says we love listening weekly to the roundup of the tour but the best pods are on a daily basis with the Grand Slams like last January during the Australian Open I'm South African So we went there for a holiday where I asked Zoe to marry me.
Through these life-changing moments, the podcast was there, playing every day in the car as we drove from destination to destination, laying on the beach, or during our morning hike, sharing our Spotify audio over two sets of AirPods. We salute your insights and your opinions on the tour and the game of tennis. But most of all, the combination of you three, it gives us smiles every time we listen. Oh, you.
that's so nice which is just so nice that is wonderful you'll zoe thank you congratulations um And what a perfect note to end on. Thank you. That is incredibly lovely. And just while we're on thank yous, a few more from us. Thank you, Hannah. Thank you, Vicky. I honestly don't know where we'd be without you, Hannah and Vicky. Hannah, of course, shepherding the barge. Vicky shepherding...
I mean, our lives, quite frankly. Thank you, Matthew and Lynne, who have changed our lives this Grand Slam. Absolute legends. Truly, Matthew and Lynne, you've been incredible. And speaking of incredible, Jib. Where do we start with Jib? Jib is our editor. We've never met him. But we love him so much.
Yeah. And he's listening to this and he's getting embarrassed. But Jib, you're incredible. And he's got into tennis. Yeah. Jib has had his first tennis lesson during this tournament. He's had some other things happen during this tournament as well. It's a bit of end-ful.
Jib, we love you. Thank you, Goran, our incredible designer. Thank you also to The Athletic. This has been our first tournament officially partnering with The Athletic. And I think it's safe to say it's been a good one. It's a bit like... Cinar Alcaraz now. We've set the bar too high. It's downhill from here. But honestly, we are so proud to be partnered with the Athletic Podcast Network and to...
To get to work with Charlie and Matt and James and the whole team and to get to see them work as well, it's tremendous. And yeah, it's been an absolutely fantastic fortnight. And it's been fantastic to have you along for the ride. It really has. Thank you for listening. If you weren't listening, it'd just be us speaking into a void. So we really do appreciate it. We'll be back on the main feed a week from now.
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