Jannik Sinner reached his first-ever Roland Garros final on Friday after defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Now, he faces a major challenge in the championship match, as he goes up against reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking about the matchup, the World No. 1 offered a candid take.
“I’m very happy how we did that today and of course Sunday is going to be very difficult,” Sinner said in his post-match interview on Court Philippe Chatrier. “Of course, lately my head-to-head doesn’t look great against Carlos, so let’s see what I can do.”
Indeed, Alcaraz holds a clear edge over Sinner recently. The Spanish star has won their last four meetings, including two finals: the Rome Masters 1000 just days ago and the 2024 China Open.
The full head-to-head between the two top-ranked players shows that Alcaraz’s dominance is a more recent development. They’ve faced each other 11 times, with Carlos leading the series 7–4. But until 2023, it was the Italian who had the upper hand, including a final win over Alcaraz at the 2022 Croatia Open.
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Despite voicing concern over his recent results against the World No. 2, Sinner acknowledged he’s in a great moment. “Of course I enjoy these moments. I’m very happy to be here in the final,” he said. “I think they are very rare and special moments. Tomorrow, we have a day off, when we are going to try and prepare for the match but again, I am very happy. This is a very special place for me.”
Have Sinner and Alcaraz faced off at Roland Garros before?
Of the 11 career meetings between Sinner and Alcaraz, three have come in Grand Slam tournaments. In 2022, Sinner won their Wimbledon round of 16 matchup, though Carlos avenged that loss months later at the US Open.
Their third Grand Slam clash happened last year at Roland Garros, when they met in the semifinals. Sinner pushed it to five sets, but Alcaraz ultimately came out on top and advanced to the final, where he defeated Alexander Zverev to claim the title.
Sinner extends Grand Slam win streak
Jannik Sinner entered Roland Garros on an impressive Grand Slam win streak, having won the 2024 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open. With his run in Paris, he’s now racked up 20 straight victories in major tournaments.
This streak places the Italian star alongside Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in a tie for seventh on the all-time list. A win on Sunday would see him surpass both legends.
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