Novak Djokovic keeps trying, but there’s only so much he can do to stave off the generational change in men’s tennis.
With each passing Grand Slam, it looks more and more like a two-person sport.
Djokovic’s bid for a 25th major title ended Friday in the French Open semifinals, with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner delivering a baseline clinic that would have made prime Djokovic proud.
Sinner’s 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) victory in three sets up a final Sunday against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz that has been a long time coming with one of tennis’ four big trophies on the line. Djokovic had his era, but it’s pretty clear that those two now own the sport.
Alcaraz, the defending champion at Roland Garros, is seeking a fifth Grand Slam title just a month past his 22nd birthday. Sinner, 23, has been so dominant in this tournament – and nearly everywhere else in the world over the last couple years – that a victory Sunday would put him on the precipice of holding all four major titles at the same time, something Djokovic achieved across 2015 and 2016.
Though this marks the first time Sinner and Alcaraz have played in a Slam final, it feels like the new normal. Not only have they conquered the 38-year old Djokovic, whose last major was the 2023 US Open, they have zipped past the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and a handful of others who were regularly advancing deep at the Grand Slam but don’t seem like true threats anymore.
As tennis waits for the likes of Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils and Joao Fonseca to round out their skills into a Grand Slam-winning package, Alcaraz and Sinner have established enough separation over their peers to become the defining rivalry of the 2020s.
Sunday might be the first, but it won’t be the last.
What makes this such a delicious French final, though, is the dynamic between the two of them.
Since losing last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinal to Medvedev, Sinner is 49-1 against everyone except Alcaraz. His record against Alcaraz during that span? Zero for two.
It’s a fascinating place in their rivalry, which began in the juniors when Alcaraz was just 15. Even though Sinner is considered the best player in the world — and with good reason given his record and consistency — Alcaraz has a 7-4 lead in the head-to-head matchup as pros.
And given the long runway for their shared dominance of the sport, it feels like we’re still in the early stages of figuring out exactly what that record means.
Ever since Sinner ascended to No. 1, he has been machine-like; a prime Djokovic archetype whose consistency, shot discipline and power make it almost impossible for opponents to find a hole in his arsenal.
Alcaraz has been more volatile: Brilliant when engaged and motivated, but often a bit immature and unfocused when he gives into his natural pull toward creativity and unnecessary flair. It has led to some perplexing losses over the last year, and even moments in matches where he’ll allow inferior players to challenge him.
But against Sinner, undoubtedly because he respects his ability so much, Alcaraz tends more toward the meat and potatoes. We saw that play out just a few weeks ago in the final of the Italian Open, where Alcaraz abandoned the showmanship and powered to a 7-6, 6-1 victory in Sinner’s home country.
Given the level Sinner has played at in Paris, though, reaching the final without dropping a set, it would be hard to consider Alcaraz a huge favorite even if he is more naturally suited to the clay.
When they played in the French semifinals last year, Sinner looked like he was on the verge of victory before Alcaraz made the final push and won 6-3 in the fifth set. Their previous meeting in a Grand Slam also went the distance: A 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 Alcaraz win at the US Open in 2022 that lasted more than five hours and is widely considered to be the best tennis match of the decade.
Though Djokovic competed well enough that you could see him maybe sneaking in one more Wimbledon title if everything breaks his way, Fridays match was an undeniable statement that he is now a level below Sinner. He’s not completely out of the way as a contender, but it’s going to take something extraordinary for anyone to disrupt Alcaraz and Sinner meeting in a bunch of Grand Slam finals over the next couple years.
Tennis always moves on, and this is now their era. If they can consistently reproduce the high level of tennis and drama Sunday that they’ve drawn out of each other in their biggest matches so far, saying goodbye to the legends of the last 20 years won’t seem as sad.
