On Sunday, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz defeated Italian Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set battle in the French Open final. The match lasted five hours and 29 minutes, becoming the longest final in the history of the tournament. But more than that, both players showcased an exquisite level of tennis, hitting winners and impossible angles even in the last tie-break.

From the moment the match ended, current and former players, including Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, commented on the match, praising Alcaraz and Sinner. Fans and experts started comparing it to some of the most epic finals in recent history, such as Novak Djokovic and Nadal’s 2012 Australian Open final, Nadal and Federer’s 2008 Wimbledon final, or the 1980 Wimbledon final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

Asked about it after the match, Alcaraz gave his opinion. “Honestly, if people put our match in that bracket, it’s a great honour for me,” said Alcaraz, via Tennis365.com. “I don’t know if it’s on the same level as those matches because they are, you know, the history of tennis and the history of sport. So I’ll let people talk about it if, for them, it’s almost the same thing.

“But for me, looking from the outside or realizing what this match represents in the history of tennis, I don’t know if our match sits at their table. I’m happy to inscribe our match and our names in the history of the Grand Slam, in the history of Roland-Garros. Simply, the debate is up to them,” he added.

Matts Wilander says that no final “comes close” to Alcaraz-Sinner

Among the voices that claim that the 2025 French Open final was one of the best was former World No. 1 Mats Wilander. “I have seen [Roger] Federer and Nadal and they have played a couple of good finals but nothing comes close to this one to me,” he said on TNT Sports.

“Because the anticipation was so high, especially from my side, because I witnessed their matches and I always think this is not possible, they are playing at a pace that is not human,” he added.

Wilander said that Sinner and Alcaraz were the “two of the best athletes that the human race can put forward,” and that he was “speechless” after the game. “I am not speechless often, I am not speechless now, but what an unbelievable day,” he said.

Alcaraz to play Queens, Sinner to rest until Halle

With the clay swing behind, now the ATP stars will be playing in several 250 and 500 tournaments on grass to prepare for Wimbledon, which starts on June 30. In that sense, Alcaraz is expected to return to action at Queen’s next week. Meanwhile, Sinner is set to return to action at the Halle Open in Germany next week.