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Jannik Sinner poised to conquer Roland Garros against fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Former Tennis Star Drops Bombshell: Jannik Sinner’s Path to Victory at 2025 Roland Garros Unveiled!

Get ready for a showdown at the 2025 Roland Garros as rising stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz gear up to battle for the championship title. The competition is heating up, with 22-year-old Alcaraz emerging as a top contender for the trophy, having clinched victories in Monte Carlo and Rome Masters 1000 tournaments on clay courts.
The young Spaniard is on a mission to iron out the inconsistencies in his game and has showcased stellar performance in the early rounds of the French Open. Meanwhile, Sinner, known for not excelling on red clay, made a strong comeback after a hiatus by reaching the final at the Rome Masters 1000, proving his readiness to compete at the highest level.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes are on these two formidable players as they navigate their way through tough opponents. Expert analysis from former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone sheds light on the intense rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz, highlighting the unpredictability and strength that Alcaraz brings to the court, posing a significant challenge for Sinner.

With both players demonstrating exceptional skill and determination, the stage is set for a thrilling face-off that could redefine the landscape of men’s tennis. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds at Roland Garros, where history is in the making and a new champion is poised to emerge victoriously.

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Alcaraz, Sinner win, as Swiatek off to strong start

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Carlos Alcaraz

PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz powered into the French Open second round on Monday with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3,6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and will face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two.

Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open, and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic.

“The first round is never easy, and coming here as a champion is even more difficult,” said the Spaniard, who has won both the Monte Carlo Masters and Rome Open titles on clay this year.

“But, I started well, found my rhythm, and I’m happy with my start.”

Alcaraz beat Sinner in straight sets in the Rome final just over a week ago, as the Italian returned from a three-month doping ban.

Two-time reigning Australian Open champion Sinner saw off home hope Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 despite a brief third-set wobble in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.

It was the first of two successive French opponents for Sinner, who will meet the retiring Richard Gasquet in the second round after the 38-year-old extended his career with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over wildcard Terence Atmane in his 22nd and final Roland Garros appearance.

“I know you’re going to support him (Gasquet), it’s OK, I know that,” Sinner told the crowd, whose earlier arrival on court was greeted with loud cheers.

“I’m just happy to share a court with him.”

The 75th-ranked Rinderknech fought hard to the delight of the home fans, and led 4-0 in the third set.

But, he failed to serve out the set at 5-3 ahead, and Sinner roared back to secure a straight-sets success with a run of five successive games.

Taylor Fritz of the United States became the first high-profile casualty in the men’s draw, as the fourth seed lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to German Daniel Altmaier.

Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open runner-up, got his bid for a first Grand Slam title under way with a 6-3, 6-4,6-2 win over veteran Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, the losing finalist in 2021, beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 7-5,6-3, 6-4.

Two-time quarterfinalist Holger Rune of Denmark also progressed, recovering from losing a first-set tiebreak to defeat Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets, as did French No 1 Arthur Fils.

Swiatek cruises through

Swiatek entered the tournament on a nearly yearlong trophy drought, but showed signs of form in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.

Her struggles since the last of her four French Open titles have been well documented, but she broke her 42nd-ranked opponent four times in a strong display.

The five-time Grand Slam champion’s remarkable win-loss record in the tournament now stands at 36-2.

“I knew I needed to stay proactive and try to use my weapons. I’m happy with my performance, and it was a solid match,” said Swiatek, who also beat Sramkova in the second round of this year’s Australian Open.

Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, will next face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, after the Briton defeated China’s Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Raducanu is playing at the French Open for the first time since a second-round exit on her debut in 2022.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who had a match point against Swiatek in the second round at Roland Garros a year ago, was knocked out by Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa in a tense three-set battle.

Badosa, an Australian Open semifinalist earlier this year, fought back from a set down to win 6-7 (1), 6-1,6-4.

Osaka has still never got past the third round at Roland Garros.

Former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina battled past Argentinian qualifier Julia Riera 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, two days after lifting her first WTA title since April 2024 in Strasbourg.

American ninth seed Emma Navarro suffered an embarrassing 6-0, 6-1 loss to Spanish world No 68 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in just 57 minutes, only winning a game when her opponent double-faulted to gift her a break when serving for a double-bagel victory.

But, her compatriot Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, had no such problems, swatting aside Daria Saville 6-2, 6-1.

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Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek and Gauff present as top tennis stars hold showdown

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Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff

Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek and Gauff present as top tennis stars hold showdown talks with Grand Slam bosses

A group of top-10 WTA and ATP stars met with the chiefs of each of the four Grand Slams at Roland Garros on Thursday to discuss prize money, player welfare and giving them more say in decisions that directly impact them at the majors.

As previously reported by the Associated Press, the elite of the women’s and men’s tours, including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff, signed a letter to the four slams at the end of March, requesting an in-person meeting with the heads of the four majors to bring forth the aforementioned issues.

The meeting, which was initially meant to take place at the Madrid Open last month, finally materialised in Paris on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s start of the French Open.

Talks lasted around an hour and The National understands it was attended by Alcaraz, Sinner and Casper Ruud from the ATP Tour, and Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Gauff from the WTA Tour.

The players are seeking a greater percentage of tournament revenue, would like the slams to make financial contributions to the player welfare programmes funded by the tours, and perhaps more importantly, demand a seat at the table when it comes to some of the major decisions taken that impact competition, and their wellbeing at tournaments.

In Madrid a few weeks ago, Gauff noted the disparity between the percentage of revenue dedicated to athletes in other sports compared to tennis.

“As you know, tennis and the percentage shared in revenue isn’t nearly as close as other sports. So, I definitely think that’s something in our sport that we can do. It won’t only benefit top players, it will also benefit lower-ranked players as well,” said the American.

“In other sports, you look at the 100th best player in maybe basketball or football or soccer or anything, and the percentage that they give versus our 100th or 200th best is not great.

“So, I think for us, we kind of understood maybe the privilege and the audience that we can get as top players to kind of make that change. So, we just sent that letter, and hopefully to have the conversation get started, and hopefully how that can improve in the future.”

The majors have been increasing their prize money commitment almost every year. This year, Roland Garros is offering a total prize pot of €56.352 million, up 5.21 per cent from last year. There will be prize money increases in every round and the men’s and women’s singles champions will each earn €2.55 million.

Gauff added: “I’m very aware that we are professional athletes, and we do live a very privileged life and make money doing something that, you know, is pretty easy. Not easy, but you know what I mean. I think it’s just a very nuanced conversation.”

“I always say this, especially as a female athlete in tennis, I always say that when I look at other sports, we’re very privileged. You look at WNBA and even some of the soccer, and the money they’re getting for the amount of effort they put in is not close.

“So, I’m very lucky that tennis had pioneers like Billie Jean King and Venus Williams [who] started that conversation very early on. So, yeah, I think it’s just continuing that conversation within our sport, but also having that conversation so that other sports can reach that too.”

The fact that the women and men are coming together to raise such issues is fairly unprecedented, especially in recent tennis history.

Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek
MASON, OHIO – AUGUST 19: Iga Swiatek of Poland congratulates Coco Gauff after their match during the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2023 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)55

Conversations about approaching the Grand Slams started several months ago and were spearheaded by members of the WTA Player Council, according to world No 3 Pegula.

The letter sent to the majors coincided with the antitrust lawsuit filed by the PTPA, a player association co-founded by Djokovic, against the ATP and WTA tours but Pegula insists the two initiatives are completely unrelated.

“It’s totally unrelated. 100 per cent unrelated,” Pegula said in Madrid. “It’s something that we were working on seven, eight months ago. So it’s just been in the works. I don’t want to say, like, too much because it hasn’t really gone anywhere yet. It’s just started. It’s new.

“But I’ll definitely say it’s not related to what the PTPA are doing. It was honestly just a coincidence of the timing.”

Reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys was part of the early conversations sparked by the WTA Player Council. The American world No 7 believes having a seat, and a voice, at the table is will be crucial moving forward.

“We really wanted to have a more open communication with the slams and just at least know what was going on. And so that was really a big thing that we kind of started and pushed,” said Keys in the Spanish capital.

“And I feel like it’s just been years and years of finally getting it here. And I would imagine that the council at this point felt like it was a good time to bring the men in as well and have a unified voice.

“But yeah, it’s just we want some more open communication and just the ability to kind of be in the room when decisions are being made.”

While full details of what happened in the meeting are yet to be revealed, The National understands that a formal letter will be sent by the players requesting the Grand Slams commit to a timeline to start addressing their demands.

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Follwing Rafa Nadal’s legacy: Carlos Alcaraz rises as the new King

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Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal

Follwing Rafa Nadal’s legacy: Carlos Alcaraz rises as the new King of Clay in Rome

Carlos Alcaraz’s victory at the 2025 Rome Masters 1000 has further cemented his reputation as the natural heir to Rafael Nadal’s legacy on clay. By defeating world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 7-6(5), 6-1, Carlitos not only silenced the passionate Italian crowd but also confirmed his status as the dominant force on this surface.

Alcaraz’s performance in Rome was nothing short of masterful. Facing Sinner, who entered the final riding a ridiculous 26-match winning streak and had not lost since October, the Spaniard showcased his mental and tactical prowess.

The first set was a tense battle, decided by a close tiebreak. The former world No. 1 saved two set points while serving 5-6, proving once again his fight spirit and relentless aggression and composure.

The second set was a tactical beating, with Alcaraz moving Jannik from corner to corner and keeping the Italian guessing. The reigning Roland Garros champion outplayed Sinner, breaking his serve twice on his way to victory.

This win marked Alcaraz’s first Rome title and his seventh Masters 1000 crown, making him only the fifth player to win three different Masters 1000 events on clay, joining legends such as Marcelo Rios, Gustavo Kuerten, Novak Djokovic and of course, Rafael Nadal.

At just 22 years old, Carlitos also became the fifth youngest player to claim 10 clay-court titles, following in the footsteps of Mats Wilander, Bjorn Borg and again his tennis hero, Rafa.

Nadal’s legacy rests in good hands

Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz

With Rafa’s retirement in 2024, the tennis world has been searching for a new clay-court king. Well, now that search seems to be over due to Alcaraz’s multiple titles in Madrid, Monte-Carlo and now Rome, mirroring the dominance once displayed by the 14-time French Open champion.

Since last year, Alcaraz owns a very impressive record on the surface: 26 wins and only two losses, one against Rune in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, and the other one against Djokovic, in the 2024 Olympic final.

What’s up next?

Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph in Rome propels him back to world number two and sends a clear message ahead of Roland Garros, where he will arrive as the defending champion and the top contender. There’s no wonder why he has drawn all the recent comparisons with Nadal, but the new world No. 2 continues to forge his own path, blending power, speed and tactical prowess.

Only time will tell if Alcaraz can match Nadal’s absurd records, but his victory at the Foro Italico was an absolute statement: the new era of clay-court dominance has begun.

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Carlos Alcaraz makes confession about Rafael Nadal’s iconic pre-match routines

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Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz has recalled the first time he played Rafael Nadal and admitted he was intimidated by his legendary countryman’s routines.

Nadal’s intense pre-match warmup routine, which involved jumping and sprinting in the corridor, was an iconic element of his aura.

The 2021 Madrid Masters played host to the first encounter between Alcaraz and Nadal.

The second round match was contested on Alcaraz’s 18th birthday, and Nadal showed no mercy as he claimed a crushing 6-1, 6-2 win.

The Spanish duo faced off twice more — both times in 2022 — with Nadal winning in the Indian Wells semi-finals before Alcaraz prevailed in their final meeting in the last eight at the Madrid Open.

Alcaraz reflected on his his 2021 Madrid showdown with his idol Nadal in his Netflix documentary series: Carlos Alcaraz: My Way.

“I remember the first time I played against Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open. It was a special moment. I was turning 18,” the four-time Grand Slam winner said.

“You see Rafa Nadal doing his routine. Jumping, sprinting around. You could see it on my face, I didn’t know where to hide. Scared to death would be an understatement.”

Alcaraz has frequently been compared to Nadal, but the 21-year-old asserted that he does not want to be viewed as the Mallorcan icon’s successor.

“I don’t want to be called Rafa’s successor,” the world No 3 said. “I want to be called Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.”

Nadal, who spoke in the documentary, echoed Alcaraz’s thoughts on the comparisons.

“When you’re young and they’re constantly comparing you to some professional that’s been on the circuit for many years, there are times you get tired of hearing it,” the 22-time major winner said.

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“This leads to an excess of pressure and in the end, I think it can distort your daily life and even confuse you.”

Following Nadal’s retirement at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in November, Alcaraz paid tribute to his teammate.

“I think that he was one of the best ambassadors for tennis,” Alcaraz said in a press conference. “His legacy is going to be eternal. You know, he has been great for tennis, for this sport in general.

“It is difficult, at least for me. I don’t want to think that I should continue the legacy that he has left. It is difficult, almost impossible.

“I will try to do my best, but right now, it’s time to say, you know, just great things about Rafa, what he has done, during his career.

“I think he has said everything, but, you know, the way he left tennis, it is incredible. Probably he was one of the players that put tennis, you know, in the top of sport in the top of the world. So it is just great to have had Rafa in tennis and in this period in my life.”

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Carlos Alcaraz Gets ‘Special’ Mention From Idol Rafael Nadal Following Monte Carlo Glory

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Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz is back and how! Last month, he failed to pull off a three-peat in Indian Wells and then crashed out in the opening match of the Miami Open. But the four-time Slam winner didn’t take long to regain his dominating form as the clay season got underway. The former World No.1 bested Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday and clinched his maiden Monte Carlo Masters trophy. As expected, the congratulatory messages poured in for Alcaraz from all quarters. But the most special one came from none other than his idol and 11-time Monte Carlo champ himself – Rafael Nadal.

For the unversed, Alcaraz was trailing against Musetti initially in the first set of the Monte Carlo final, as the Italian took it 6-3. But then it all turned into ‘the Carlos Alcaraz show’ in The Principality. The Spaniard dominated the next two sets with a breadstick and a bagel, sealing the match 6-3, 6-1, 6-0. While  Musetti was outskilled by Alcaraz, a leg injury that surfaced after the first set didn’t help either.

Alcaraz has won the Monte Carlo only for the first time, in his second appearance in the event after 2022, where he had crashed out in the Round of 32. After the stunning victory on Sunday, he’s hoping to win in The Principality “more than once.”

“Thinking about 11 is impossible, honestly,” he added, referring to his idol Rafael Nadal. During his two-decade professional career, the 14-time Roland Garros champion succeeded in winning eleven Monte Carlo trophies as well. And guess what? The record holder himself came forward to shower praising words on Alcaraz’s phenomenal campaign. On X, he wrote, “Congratulations @carlosalcaraz! Congratulations on 🏆 in such a special place 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻”

Apart from Nadal, however, other notable tennis figures also expressed their admiration for Alcaraz’s stunning win. The 7-time Slam champion Patrick McEnroe took to X to write, “Carlos is ba,ck Huge title @ROLEXMCMASTERS”

Not only him, but Alcaraz’s good friend and Real Madrid soccer star Vinícius Junior also lauded his milestone. On IG, he commented with clapping emojis, admiring the 21-year-old’s massive accomplishment, and why not. After all, Carlitos is the first Spanish ATP player to win the Monte Carlo Masters since Nadal lifted the trophy back in 2018. Overall, it’s his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title,

But hey, there’s more! Alcaraz has also witnessed a jump in the ATP rankings after his dream run in The Principality.

Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz becomes No.2 again after Monte Carlo triumph

Following his emphatic win over Musetti, Carlos Alcaraz said that he’s not thinking about rankings anymore. Instead, his only goal is to enjoy his time on the court and play his best tennis, rather than thinking about the results too much. “Something that I realised that I had to do is not think about anything else but enjoying. So I’m not thinking about the ranking anymore,” he said.

Continuing further, he added, “If I win, it is great. If I don’t win, I will learn and just keep going and making the things that make me happy.”

While Carlos might not be thinking about ranking, it’s taking care of itself. After the Monte Carlo glory, Alcaraz has made a stellar jump. The former World No.1, who had slipped to No.3 in the list a while ago, has now returned to the second spot. His title victory earned him 1,000 ranking points, thus pushing his overall total to 7,720 from 6,720. Yes, Jannik Sinner is still holding the first position, but Alcaraz is now breathing down his neck. Alexander Zverev, in the meantime, has slipped to the third position. He’s now got his points reduced to 7,595 from 7,645 following a R32 exit in Monte Carlo.

As he didn’t make an appearance at Monte Carlo, Jannik Sinner lost points he earned at the tournament last season when he reached the semifinal round. From 10,330, his ranking points have now come down to 9,930. With Alcaraz adding 1,000 to his tally as well, the gap has closed even further. However, still, there’s a difference of 2,210 points between Sinner and Alcaraz.

While Alcaraz can’t reach No.1 before the Roland Garros, he can reduce the gap further. If he wins his next event in Barcelona and then Madrid, Alcaraz will get an additional 720 points. If he enters the French Open with two more title triumphs to his name, Alcaraz will have a golden chance to reclaim the top position in the rankings at Roland Garros. Are you backing Carlitos to become the ATP No.1 again?

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Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek’s Frustrations Resonate as Retired Tennis Star Shines Spotlight on a Persistent Tennis Issue

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Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek

The intense and overflowing schedules of the ATP and WTA tours have ignited a fiery debate among players and fans alike. Rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have already voiced their concerns about the grueling demands of the tour, and now they have gained an unexpected ally in former tennis player CoCo Vandeweghe. Vandeweghe’s candid critique of the harsh scheduling adds weight to the conversation, raising crucial questions about player well-being.

Over time, the role of WTA’s “mandatory” events has changed dramatically. WTA players are obligated to compete in 21 tournaments annually under the current rules. This consists of ten WTA 1000-level competitions in addition to four major Grand Slam tournaments. Top players must participate in six WTA 500-level tournaments in addition to these 14 well-known events.

During the October 27 live podcast episode of the Tennis Channel, CoCo Vandeweghe discussed the critical problems related to the demanding schedules of the WTA and ATP tours. Vandeweghe offered insightful information about the psychological and physical toll that such rigorous schedules may have on athletes because of her personal experience as a professional athlete.

She stated, “I think, yes, I think it’s becoming too redundant at this point in the schedule where it just, it just keeps happening over and over again. And most of the top players are saying, we’re gonna wait for the finals or we have Billie Jean King cup and they’re, they’re highlighting those important tournaments. So what are the important tournaments out there?”

Previously, prominent tennis players like Iga Swiatek have expressed their frustrations with scheduling issues, which have been a recurring issue in the sport. Swiatek expressed her unease about the overwhelming number of tournaments throughout the season, stating, “I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It’s not going to end well. It makes tennis less fun for us. Obviously, I love playing in all these places, but it’s pretty exhausting.”

CoCo Vandeweghe previously also addressed the WTA’s mandatory events and the new rules implemented by the organization during the TC Live Podcast. “I think it’s ridiculous that the WTA is asking all these players to play these many events. I went through this personally,” she remarked.

Not only that, even Carlos Alcaraz has raised a similar concern, highlighting how the hectic schedule can create a problem for the players.

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek

Carlos Alcaraz’s strong statement on ATP’s hectic scheduling

While the majority of the biggest events have already taken place, the final third of the season is shaping up to be a hectic one for players. Carlos Alcaraz, speaking at the Laver Cup press conference, expressed his feelings about the rushed schedule, noting that the intense back-to-back tournaments can be physically and mentally taxing.

He stated, “I’m the kind of player who thinks there are a lot of tournaments during the year, mandatory tournament, and probably during the next few years gonna be even more tournaments, more mandatory tournaments. So, I mean, probably they are going to kill us in some way (smiling).”

With support from fellow players like Iga Swiatek and insights from former pros like CoCo Vandeweghe, the dialogue surrounding the ATP and WTA’s scheduling practices is more crucial than ever. Moreover, the growing chorus of voices advocating for change highlights the need for a more balanced and sustainable approach for the players.

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