A pulsating French Open came to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday, with Carlos Alcaraz battling back in a legendary final to stun Jannik Sinner and defend his title.
Here, we look at the big winners and losers from a fascinating fortnight of men’s singles action at Roland Garros.
The winners
Carlos Alcaraz: An astonishing comeback and an astonishing triumph for Alcaraz, who is now one of just four men in the Open Era to win five majors before turning 23. It is hard to see the Spaniard slowing down anytime soon.
Alexander Bublik: The Kazakh picked up two hugely impressive top-10 wins to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, reminding everyone just how talented he is. Let’s hope we see more of this tennis from him in the future.
Frances Tiafoe & Tommy Paul: Best-ever Roland Garros runs for Tiafoe and Paul saw both men reach the last eight, as part of a strong US campaign in Paris. Both will be eyeing up a strong grass-court season.
French Open News
The 6 men to win the French Open final from two sets down: Alcaraz joins Djokovic, Borg
ATP Rankings: Sinner’s consolation, Alcaraz’s title, Draper and Paul’s new milestones, Ruud -8
The losers
Alexander Zverev: Another Grand Slam chance goes begging for Zverev, who fell into his passive patterns of play in his quarter-final exit to Novak Djokovic. It looks less and less likely that the German will win a major title.
Taylor Fritz: Expectations were low for fourth seed Fritz heading into Roland Garros, but an opening-round exit to Daniel Altmaier was underwhelming. The American now has to defend a heap of ranking points this summer.
Stefanos Tsitsipas: After a stunning second-round loss to Matteo Gigante, Tsitsipas now finds himself outside the top 20 for the first time since 2018. The Greek will hope his partnership with Goran Ivanisevic can revitalise his career.
Casper Ruud: Injury contributed to the end of Ruud’s Roland Garros, with his second-round loss to Nuno Borges his earliest exit at the event since 2018. The Norwegian is another whose Grand Slam hopes may be fading.
Winner…and loser?
Jannik Sinner: The world No 1 proved he was as sharp as ever throughout a dominant run to the final, but is now just the third man in the Open Era to miss championship points in a Grand Slam final. How will he process such a loss?
Novak Djokovic: Djokovic’s motivation and hunger should not be questioned, and his tennis in Paris was arguably his best of the year. But, despite a strong display, he couldn’t take a set off Sinner in the semi-final. It is understandable why he may be contemplating his long-term future in the sport.
Lorenzo Musetti: Musetti’s strong clay-court season ended in heartbreaking fashion, pushing Alcaraz early on before injury forced him to retire in his first French Open final. Hopefully, it is not a long-term issue for the Italian.
The post French Open ATP Winners & Losers: Alcaraz’s joy, Sinner’s heartbreak…and a Djokovic farewell? appeared first on Tennis365.
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