Another classic exhibition in Paris

As we waited for yesterday’s Men’s final, it would be fair to say that the French Open singles’ championships went pretty much to script.

The No.1 and 2 seeds played each other in the Men’s and Women’s finals for the first time in a Grand Slam final since the 2013 US Open. It was the first time it had happened at Roland Garros since 1984. Last night’s Men’s final was the 43rd time that the top two seeds had squared off in a Men’s final in the Open era; remarkably, the spoils had been equally divided with 21 wins apiece for each of the dominant duo.

Maybe that should have given us a hint that the truly extraordinary was about to unfold.

In the Doubles competition, the form lines also held up. The Women’s Doubles was won by the No. 2 seeds, the Men’s Doubles by the fifth seeds- more of their extraordinary story later-and the Mixed by the No.3 seeds.

Shortly after the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings, Italy came to the fore in Paris, but not as an Axis Power. Their tennis players reached three of the five finals. Sinner in the Men’s. Sara Errani claimed two titles, teaming with compatriots: Jasmine Paolini in the Doubles and Andrea Vavassori in the Mixed.

In the Singles, it has been the story of two triumphs by the No.2 seeds.

Of course, being No.1 is not easy, especially in sport. Uneasy is the head that wears the crown, literally. Australia’s Ange Postecoglou coached English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur to its first title in seventeen years by winning the Europa League final against arch-nemesis, Manchester United barely two weeks ago.  

Such glory did not prevent the club’s Directors terminating his contract for a poor performance in the English Champions League where Spurs finished seventeenth. An ironic symmetry to say the least. As an American might say, “Go Figure.” Well Spurs’ accountants will be looking at the figures when they contemplate the multi-million dollar payout that Postecoglou must  receive.  What compensation is money for his very public rejection and humiliation? An eternal, Shakespearean question.  Does Ange feel the “sense of betrayal” that Hugh Jackman’s estranged wife, Deborah Lee- Furness, recently wrote about in cry of agony on social media.

Of course, the Jackman separation is not the most discussed break up of the week. The sudden end of the personal and political bromance between President Trump and the enigmatic Elon Musk has also been recorded in tawdry rhetoric on their respective social medial accounts. Frankly, what took the dissolution so long to occur? Every farmer knows that you do not place two bulls in the same paddock without serious consequences. Let’s hope that the acrimony can abate and that the President can remember what his principal obligation is, namely, to serve and lead the people that elected him.

Sadly, both Trump and Musk demonstrably place personal vindication and aggrandisement about all else.  It is the fate of the narcissist. For this reason, it is likely they will continue to spar about all they are and do, especially the President’s proposed “big, beautiful Bill” of tax relief, which Musk sees as a nightmarish guarantee of further national debt.

One wonders if Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to quell protests in Los Angeles against deportations is a manifestation of his wish to remind who is control of the Oval Office. Another equally risky deployment is Greta Thunberg’s attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip.

Back to the tennis.

Sabalenka still wears the crown of the world’s No.1 ranked female player but endured the agony of another three set loss in a Grand Slam final, following her loss to Madison Keys in the Australian Open.  As in Melbourne, Sabalenka publicly berated herself saying “it was the worst final she had ever played” and was singularly ungracious in suggesting that Gauff had not won the title as much as she had lost it.

Gauff rallied from a set down to claim her second Grand Slam title. Between them Sabalenka and Gauff have now won every Grand Slam title except Wimbledon, which adds spice and intrigue to this year’s SW19 Championship where they will be again seeded to meet in the final.

Sinner and Alcaraz powered their way to the final, with Sinner not dropping a set. His straight sets defeat of Novak Djokovic in their semi-final confirmed Sinner’s youthful energy and talent and Djokovic’s remarkable skills. In the end the sixteen-year age gap between them was telling. In the third set tiebreak, Novak could not muster the energy to repel Sinner’s barrage of shots, that only the audacity of youth can produce. Djokovic’s homage to the centre court as he departed, suggested that in kissing the famed clay of Roland Garros, he may well have also been bidding permanent adieu to the tournament.

The Men’s Doubles provided arguably the ‘feel-good’ story of the tournament. The exotically named Spanish-Argentine pairing of Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos- their surnames more like brand names for a breakfast cereal and a protein shake-captured their first Grand Slam title. Aged 39 and 40, Granollers and Zeballos first played together six years ago. Before their French victory, they had been runners-up in two Wimbledon and US Open finals and the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2022 and 2023. Everyone loves a story of persistence prevailing. Their joy at finally claiming a title was infectious.

Last night’s Men’s final is a “never to be forgotten moment “ in the game’s history.  For mine, it was the best Men’s final ever played in Paris and enters the Open Era pantheon alongside the 1980 and 2008 Wimbledon finals as the finest ever Men’s matches.

Chris Evert, who shared so many memorable finals with Martina Navratilova, reflected the thoughts of most when she said, “give them both the trophy”.

How extraordinary that as commentators worried about the game’s future after the retirement of the ‘Great 3’’, we now have a pairing that may take the game to loftier heights. John McEnroe thinks that at their best both Alcaraz and Sinner could defeat Nadal at this peak. Neither Alcaraz nor Sinner had lost any of their eight Grand Slam finals before last night. They have won the last six Grand Slam titles between them.

Sometimes, statistics do tell the full story better than adjectives. Consider the following ‘tales of the tape’ that are testimony of a titanic contest which was the second longest in Open history lasting 5 hours and 29 minutes.

Both players served for the match: Sinner in the fourth and Alcaraz in the fifth.

Sinner won 193 points; Alcaraz 192.

Alcaraz won 30 games: Sinner 29

Both players won 21 service games

Sinner won 116 service points: Alcaraz 117

Sinner converted 7/15 break point opportunities: Alcaraz 7/14

For the first time in his career, Alcaraz won a match after trailing two sets to love.

Ordinarily, the feat of recovering from such a deficit alone would make a Grand Slam victory memorable. We have seen this feat recently at the US Open in 2020 (Thiem v Zverev) and at the Australian Open in 2022 (Nadal v Medvedev) and 2024 (Sinner v Medvedev).

Maybe it’s the clay, but it is a feat more common at the French Open. Before the Open era two set deficits were overcome in 1946 (Barnard v Drobny), 1962 (Laver v Emerson) and in the Open era in 1974 (Borg v Orantes), 1984 ( Lendl v McEnroe), 1999 (Agassi v A. Medvedev), 2004 (Gaudio v Coria) and 2021 (Djokovic v Tsitsipas).

This is what is remarkable about this match. Alcaraz’ recovery was astonishing; however, indulge me by recording the match was made eternal because it was crafted from exuberant, energetic, electric, exquisite, exciting and extravagant shot making with the winner not known with certainty until the last point was played. All of this plus an atmosphere of gracious and respectful sportsmanship. Who could ask for more?

Savour last night for many years. This was not a mere Parisian restaurant morsel, nor a baguette replete with the finest fillings. Alcaraz and Sinner have served us all an unforgettable  grande fete gastronomique du tennis.  Offer thanks and prayers of praise in the newly renovated Notre Dame or your nearest cathedral!