Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz played out a brilliant French Open final at Roland Garros last weekend.
It was the first final between the pair, and based on the outcome, the hope will be that it’s not the last.
Sinner raced into a two-set lead against the world number two and looked to be cruising towards the finish line to win the title for the first time.
However, Alcaraz is made of stern stuff and after saving three championship points, he roared back to win a five-set thriller that lasted over five hours.
For Sinner, this will be a tough pill to swallow and ahead of Wimbledon, Greg Rusedski has some thoughts on the Italian.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesGreg Rusedski makes Jannik Sinner claim after French Open defeat
Sinner will be hurting after this huge defeat from two sets to the good, but as the world number one, he’s bounced back from disappointment before.
Rusedski has suggested that the next Grand Slam, coming in such close proximity to the French Open, will give him the perfect chance to respond.
He told the Inside In podcast: “He has still not won any matches which go over three hours and 42 minutes, so that’s the problem.
“He has got to start winning those five-setters after four hours plus. This is going to hurt him. I watched him when he did his acceptance speech, and he did not look tired. He looked like he was fresh and there in the moment.
“It is going to hurt for a week, and then he is going to get on grass courts and say I want to win Wimbledon now. I want to hurt him back. I want to see Carlos back in that final.
“I think he has got that mental fortitude. Let’s not forget he was a downhill ski guy before ski jumping and you only get one chance. In tennis, you get multiple chances and multiple opportunities, and it’s not gone until the last point.
“I think he is going to bounce back and want to hit back immediately because he was going to go in the record books as one of the few guys who has won three Slams in a row. Most of us mere mortals would have huge scar tissue out of that situation, but he has three slams to look back at that he has already won, he is number one in the world, he has a great team around him. Darren has been a great part of him mentally.
“This will hurt. It’s almost like Sabalenka. But I feel that they are two special people that they will bounce back and don’t be surprised if they both win Wimbledon.”
Sinner cannot be discounted for Wimbledon
After such a crushing defeat, he might not go into this year’s Grand Slam in Great Britain as the favourite, but he has to be considered a contender.
Sinner has never won at the All England Club previously, and he will want to end Alcaraz’s two-year reign as the Wimbledon champion.
For the tennis purists, the hope will be that the draw once again ensures the two cannot meet until the final and they both reach it to serve up another classic.
Sinner will come again after his French Open defeat and now the challenge is to get one back over Alcaraz and take his Wimbledon crown away from his clutches.