Sinner stuns Djokovic to face Carlos Alcaraz in final
Top-seeded Jannik Sinner entered the final of the highly coveted French Open with a memorable win over the sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic in the semi-final match on Friday. The Italian registered a scoreline of 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 and knocked the 24-time Grand Slam winner out of the title race. With this win, Sinner marched into the final of the French Open and will now face the second-seeded and defending champions Carlos Alcaraz in the summit clash on Sunday. It will be Sinner’s maiden French Open title. Speaking after the match, the world number one said, as quoted by ATP’s official website, “It was such a special occasion for me, playing against Novak in the semi-final of a Grand Slam. It was just amazing, and I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I am very happy with how I handled the situation, but this shows again what a role model he is for all of us and especially for us young players.” “What he (Djokovic) is doing is incredible, and I wish him only the best for the rest of the season. I think we are all very lucky to see him playing such high-level tennis, it is amazing,” he added. Alcaraz stands one victory away from defending his crown at Paris after Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti retired in the fourth set of their gripping semi-final clash on Friday .The 22-year-old Spaniard led Musetti 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian retired from the match after two hours and 25 minutes.
Far from tennis, Nadal now spends time with family and academy
For the first time, the French Open is going to begin in post-Rafael Nadal era. While Roland-Garros turns the page on a golden era, the 14-time winner says he has no regret leaving the stage behind. The Spaniard, who officially retired in November 2024, told French sports daily L’Equipe that he no longer misses competing and is enjoying a normal, pain-free life after years of battling chronic injuries. He now divides his time between family life, his academy, and new projects. Nadal says he’s relishing the freedom of life without the rigid demands of the tour and has no regrets about how his career unfolded. “I’ve had a wonderful life beyond the courts,” he said. “Tennis was a huge part of it, but it was never everything.”He added, “I don’t miss playing. I knew I had reached my limit.” This year’s tournament is the first of the post-Nadal era, a symbolic shift for an event so long synonymous with his name. As the next generation of contenders prepares to stake its claim on the clay, Nadal is watching from afar, embracing life beyond the tour. However, Nadal singled out world number one Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the current leaders of the men’s game, while also highlighting Holger Rune, Jack Draper, and Jakub Mensik as emerging talents. Looking back, Nadal said his proudest achievement was not his record haul of trophies, but his ability to preserve his enthusiasm and values through years of grueling competition and injury setbacks.
