Alcaraz's Remarkable Roland Garros Conquest amidst Crazy Coincidences!

Carlos Alcaraz pulled off one of the greatest heists in ages to seal an improbable Roland Garros Championship. It was virtually gravity defying as just around an hour earlier in to the match, he was on the back-foot staving off 3 match points in the fourth set. To surmount a comeback from that stage by turning it around and winning an epic 5 set thriller caps off one of the most miraculous achievements ever witnessed in sport.

It almost looked like a foregone conclusion as it seemed impossible for Carlos to spot any aperture with his opponent Sinner literally unrelenting not giving any room whatsoever. What Alcaraz did to make a way back will be etched in sporting memorabilia and remembered as a history defining sporting moment. It also reinforced the important life lesson of  "nothing is impossible" , "never give up" and "it's never over till it's actually over".

Going into the final, both the challengers had an unblemished record in Grand Slam finals with Alcaraz winning all his 4 slam final prior and Sinner emerging victorious in all the 3 slam finals that he had participated in. So, it was a given that one record was on the line with a final defeat inevitable for either one of them. Also it was after a long time that the World #1 was going head to head in a clash with the World #2 with stakes being extremely high. Sinner was the man in a rich vein of form going into the final having won all of his 6 encounters without dropping a single set along the way. This also included a convincing victory over the all time leader in the Grand Slam pack viz Novak Djokovic thus preventing Nole from adding a 25th Grand Slam to his tally. Though Alcaraz didn't feel like he was at his real best in this tournament, he did have a one-up over Sinner having just recently coming out on top in the Rome Masters final which was a clay court event played a week before the French Open. This one seemed like a battle between a missile machine in the form of Sinner against a mercurial maverick in the presence of Alcaraz who's known for doing mind blowing things on the tennis court when on song.

It was not just the victory which was super savoury sweet but also the crazy coincidences at play with the universe probably egging Carlos Alcaraz on to recreate history and making sure there was a bizarre alignment with his fellow Spaniard and local childhood hero Rafael Nadal. When Rafa had won his 5th Grand Slam in 2008, he was 22 years, one month and 3 days old. The cosmic energies played a upending trick by making Alcaraz play his 5th Grand Slam final weirdly at the exact age of 22 years, one month and 3 days old in 2025. This seemed pretty outrageous to even apprehend. For a better part of the match it did look like it was only a hoodwink and that the result wouldn't go according to plan what with Sinner dominating the initial part of the match and setting up 3 match points and on course to win a pretty comfortable final. But remarkably from out of the blue, Alcaraz rose like a phoenix from the Ashes and staged a turnaround which was much beyond the realms of a fairy tale to script a win out of the extraordinary to match the feat of winning his 5th Grand Slam final at the exact ditto day, age and month of Rafa Nadal. I am still gushing for words as to how the almighty could write such a script for 2 spectacular Spanish super stars born 17 years apart from one another (Nadal 3rd Jun 1986 and Alcaraz 5th May 2003) and 2 Grand Slam tennis tournament finals held 17 years cut off from each other. (Wimbledon 6th July 2008 and French Open 8th June 2025) [The exact difference between both being 16 years 11 months and 2 days]

Apart from the age being exactly akin, there were few more similarities brought forth to the table. Both Nadal and Alcaraz won their respective matches outlasting their opponents in 5 set thrillers. The icing on the cake is that when Nadal prevailed over Federer in the dim evening light of Wimbledon in 2008, it was considered to be one of the greatest matches ever to be played in the hallowed turf of grass. He also in the process prevented Federer from winning his 6th straight Wimbledon title. Likewise with Alcaraz winning Sinner in a slug fest of a 5 setter by coming from 2 sets down, this marks as one of the greatest matches ever to be played on the red clay of Paris in a final. Both these encounters would arguably compete against each other in being the finest Grand Slam final ever to be played in tennis history. Also at that time in 2008, when Nadal finally overcame Federer it was the longest ever Championship match lasting 4 hours and 48 minutes. This was however overtaken in 2019 when Djokovic defeated Federer in the final lasting 4 hours and 57 minutes. Incidentally Djokovic also came back from match point down to win the final in another of Wimbledon's greatest finals. Alcaraz winning over Sinner incidentally happened to be the longest ever final in Roland Garros extending to 5 hours 29 minutes being even longer than the Nadal vs Federer clash in 2008. In both occasions it was the longest ever final at that particular moment in time. Another eerie similarity to take note is that in both the finals pertaining to 2008 and 2025, 2 of the sets were won by a scoreline of 6-4 and two of the sets were won in a tie break 7-6. However back in those days, the final set wasn't decided through a tie breaker and kept lingering on with Nadal prevailing 9-7 whereas in this case Alcaraz won the deciding 10 point tie breaker with scores level at 6-6 in the 5th set. To add to the murkiness, in 2008 Wimbledon Federer was seeded 1 and Nadal 2 with the latter becoming the victor and voila the same happened in 2025 French Open with Sinner being seeded 1 and Alcaraz 2 with the latter again coming out on top. To add to the spine chilling effect is the fact that both the opponents who lost were August month born and Leo Sun signs. (Federer 8th Aug 1981 and Sinner 16th Aug 2001)

One must be privileged to have even been witness to such breath taking borderline brilliance. It's a pity that one had to lose in this rivalry. Arguably this comeback by Alcaraz to win the French Open final of 2025 should rank in as one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport. It was simply sheer spellbinding and master craftsmanship at it's zenith. It's really hard to choose whether this would usurp the Nadal win over Federer in 2008 as both had it's moments etched in unrivalled artistry. Both the 2008 Wimbledon Final and the 2025 French Open Final would be celebrated for eternity and remembered for eons to come. The mysterious coincidences making a wizardly symmetry just adds that extra bit of sparkle deeming this tennis match final extremely special and truly mind boggling.

Rafa reigns to 14 at RG to go 22 on the Grand Slam Count - The GOAT debate rages on!

Thus ended another Roland Garros championship in the hallowed turf of red clay and it was really no surprise that the same old face Rafael Nadal reigned as the champion once again. Yes, the invincible Vamos Rafa Nadal did it once again to claim an eye popping 14th La Coupe des Mousquetaires. Incidentally just the last week, he witnessed his favorite football team Real Madrid FC win their 14th EURO Champions League and one week later Rafa showcased that he didn't want to be left behind in the race winning the hearts of the French public once again.

This unprecedented figure of 14 is as unenviable and jaw dropping as it gets. It almost seems humanly impossible that one man has literally dominated this surface year after year with unflinching ease. In the early 2000s Pete Sampras headed the Grand Slam tally by moving ahead of Roy Emerson and ending his career with a tally of 14 slams. To think, Rafael Nadal has equaled Pete's tally of Grand Slams just exclusively from the French Open seems just too stupefying to even comprehend. In just 18 attempts, he has catapulted himself to 14 wins and life did come a full circle as he won his 14th championship exactly on the same day as when he won his first crown on a Sunday evening on June the 5th 2005 as a moppy haired teenager with a pair of Bermudas and sleeveless tees when he had just turned 19. And the 14th came just two days after he had turned 36.

Though Rafa is always a firm favorite at Roland Garros, the scene wasn't the same this time around. He had been toppled by his greatest rival Novak Djokovic in the semifinals last year and he arrived to this tournament seeded 5th and also not being able to win any of the prior clay court events. His mental health wasn't in the best shape with a recurring foot injury and he certainly didn't set the ball rolling in the initial rounds. He dug deep to win his 4th round encounter and went to the quarter finals against his perennial adversary as a heavy underdog. There was no doubt that Rafa was hurt having lost to Djokovic last year after that epic semi final went the wrong side for him. But despite all the repercussions plaguing him, Rafa avenged the defeat from last year phenomenally by defeating the very same player en route to another victory in 2022. To win Novak along the way was the icing on the cake and certainly a bitter sweet moment for Rafa. 

So now in the Grand Slam race, Rafa steers clear by getting to 22 slams and going 2 ahead of his all time rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Despite Novak's non participation in the Aussie Open, not many bet on Rafa to claim the Aussie Open, a place where he had been negated many a time. The win at French Open just enhanced his tribe to an awe inspiring 14th win which looks like a record which will never be overtaken in the history of a single tournament by anyone henceforth. There was a time when 10 titles in a single tournament seemed a distance too long to bridge but Rafa has gotten to a mind boggling 14. His 2 main rivals are a distant second when it comes to wins in a single tournament with Novak claiming 9 Australian Opens and Roger Federer gaining 8 Wimbledon Championships.

Right from almost the start of the century, it's been this trio who have completely dominated the state of tennis over the last 2 decades. It's interesting to note that since Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam way back in 2003 Wimbledon, there have been 75 Grand Slams that have taken place with the Big 3 winning 62 of those - Nadal 22, Federer 20 and Djokovic 20. This accounts for more than 80% of total slams won. Out of the remaining 13, 6 have been won by Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka who have 3 titles apiece. Hence combined wins of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka make up more than 90% of the total slams won since Wimbledon 2003 claiming 68/75 Grand Slams which is absolutely astounding. The final remaining 7 slams out of the 75 have been won one each by Andy Roddick (2003 US), Gaston Gaudio (2004 RG), Marat Safin (2005 AO), Juan Martin Del Potro (2009 US), Marin Cilic (2014 US), Dominic Thiem (2020 US) and Daniil Medvedev (2021 US).

This clearly orchestrates that Men's tennis level has been more or less a monopoly over the last 20 years with 3 players completely dominating the sport. 2 other passengers capitalizing briefly and few others managing to win one bite of the cherry. There have always been great rivalries across eras in the sport of tennis but the longevity and consistent domination witnessed by these 3 sublime tennis players seems to defy gravity. So many records have got tumbled along the way and the urge to win doesn't seem to have dwindled one bit. Also traditionally, most players in the game of tennis have retired at their peak in the early 30s but Roger Federer has crossed 40 and Rafa and Novak have both gone past their mid 30s and still don't look like calling it a day.

Coming now to the GOAT debate, it just stretches on and on. Roger Federer was the best player of the 2000s decade and there is no doubt that Novak Djokovic was the best in the 2010s decade. Rafael Nadal is easily the greatest when it comes to a single slam domination not to forget going ahead to 22 in the Grand Slam race. Rafa has always been more injury prone compared to his peers but his will to win and killer instinct has always been at a staggering level. I would humbly submit that the GOAT debate will war on for some more time but personally in my opinion the race is now just between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Roger Federer was an invincible force much up till the end of 2010 but hasn't really done much to get the ball rolling in the last 10 years or so except for that dramatic year in 2017. Even in the hallowed court of Wimbledon where he is supposedly the best ever, he has poor returns against his nemesis Djokovic having lost 3 finals there.

Class wise, grace wise, style wise and even fan following wise Roger Federer may still be the GOAT but taking purely numbers and records into the equation, it stands pale in comparison to his two biggest rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The latter two have uplifted their game further into the 30s which Roger certainly couldn't by claiming 8 slams apiece. Roger Federer on the other hand could easily have had over 25 slams by now if he was able to convert his chances where he came a cropper in the 'oh so near yet so far' cases. The Wimbledon defeat against Novak Djokovic in 2019 would rank as his most painful not to forget losses against upcoming rookie Juan Martin Del Potro in US open final of 2009 losing a tough 5 setter and also a close shave loss to Marat Safin in the 2005 Aussie Open despite having match point. Three times he has been defeated by Novak Djokovic after having match points, twice in the semi finals of US open and once in the final of Wimbledon. One would have imagined Federer to have converted at least 4-5 of these extremely close encounters eventually into Grand Slam victories but alas it was not to be. This fact would always be hurting Federer and his fans. Though Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have also suffered some ignominies in close Grand Slam losses, it certainly doesn't come as painful as Rogers who literally had some of these matches in the bag by the claw of his racquet. Also most of Rogers individual records have also been upended over time and he only has the most Wimbledon wins still to his credit but even there Novak is within just 2 of his grass Grand Slams.

In terms of Weeks held as Number 1, it's clearly Novak Djokovic who aces it. The same goes for most prize money captured as well. Novak is also the only one to win all 9 Masters 1000 tournaments which makes his feats at such an accomplished and commendable degree. Nole also has a better head to head record against both his competitors of course it's just to be noted that he is just one ahead of Rafa in their clashes. In terms of notable clashes contested between the three, Djokovic invariably has won most of the best and tightest slugfests witnessed. Though it may not count for much in the records stake, it is to be noted that Novak Djokovic however is yet to register a Gold Medal victory at the Olympics unlike Rafael Nadal who claimed Gold at Beijing, China in 2008. Among the three however Roger Federer holds the record for the most singles titles having captured over 100 with both his rivals chasing him but still a little distance away. The most singles titles overall have however been won by Jimmy Connors with 109 to his credit.

Thus, in the end it is really a tough ask to branch out and give the credit of 'GOAT' to one singular player. The race continues and things could change and be far more clear once all the 3 greats eventually hang their boots. It however looks like Roger Federer is out of the race having aged past 40 and not in the physical state to play as much as he wishes. Rafael Nadal's never say die attitude however still keeps him pumped up as ever and Novak Djokovic despite all the controversies and poor fan following is determined even more so to win more and more titles. At the end of the day, the 'GOAT' debate apart, the sheer joy provided by these 3 monarchs is unmatched, unparalleled and simply unimaginable. It is a celebration of 2 decades of tennis wizardry by 3 geniuses who have upscaled the game of tennis and brought it such great reputation as a sport of honor.

Unthinkable 10 Year Tennis Hegemony on Clay and Grass

From 2005 to 2014 barring the 2013 Wimbledon final alone , either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal have been part of every single French Open and Wimbledon final contested in the last 10 years.

Beat that which accounts to a staggering 19 of a possible 20 Grand Slam Finals *_* out of which they themselves have contested in 7 of these Grand Finales.
This is something more than just domination , hegemony , ruthlessness and legendryness.

Hats off to Rafa and Fedex !! _^_

Resilient Rafa - The Emperor of Clay!

With Djokovic not only winning his last 4 encounters but literally dismantling Nadal by claiming the last 8 of 9 sets played against him , this was one Roland Garros Final I was pretty apprehensive about Rafa coming through. Too many ominous signs and it was only further accentuated with Nadal dropping the first set.

But what a comeback by the Champ when under the pump raising his game to another level and winning the coveted La Coupe des Mousquetaires yet again for an all encompassing herculean 9th time.

Cometh the hour cometh the man - the raging Bull from Mallorca does it once again. Rafa you truly are the closest thing to perfection anyone has seen or perhaps would ever see on the hallowed Red clay.

9 time French Open Champion, 14 Grand slam Championships and now also winning at least a solitary Grand Slam for the 10th year in succession. Truly the stuff of legends. Salute!

Is Roger Federer the greatest of them all?

Roger Federer finally realising his dream of winning the French Open

Federer finally scaled the everest by winning the coveted French title to win all 4 Grand slams and also equal Pete Sampras tally of 14 Grand slams.Though the victory didn't come against his old foe Nadal, he still must be over the moon for conquering his conquerors conqueror.

I seriously doubted him from winning the french riviera especially after the pummelling he received at the hands of the Raging Bull from Mallorca in last years most lop sided final of all time, but destiny has its own way of saying things and it said that Fedex will win it and he did :).

Just a small gist of achievements of this glittering man from Switzerland:
* This is his 14th Grand Slam Title thus emulating Pete Sampras tally.
* This is his 19th Grand Slam Final. It's believed only Ivan Lendl has more finals to his credit with 21.
* This is his (believe it or not) 20th Consecutive appearance in a Grand Slam Semi Final. An absolutely unbelievable achievement truly underlying his consistency.
*He becomes only the 6th Man to win all 4 Grand Slams. (Last was Agassi)

So is the Fed Express the greatest to have ever played the game?
His achievements certainly point to the affirmative.

Only 2 things go against him..
He has never achieved the Golden Slam (ie. winning all 4 slams in a year). Rod Laver has done it twice in 1962 and 1969.
He has never really got the better of his bitter arch rival Rafael Nadal coming second best on many occasions. (especially on the hallowed turf of clay)

I doubt he will ever achieve the golden slam but beating his biggest rival Nadal in the French Open Final will be the icing on the cake for this illustrious man full of wonderful achievements. Hypothetically speaking if only Nadal were not present in this generation, nothing would have stopped him from being the greatest of all time. He would have not only won the Golden Slam, he would have also had 20 Grand Slams in his kitty (4 continuous French Opens (2005-2008),Wimbledon 2008 and Australian Open 2009)

So till he fixes the missing parts of the jigsaw puzzle, debates will continue and questions will always be raised as to whether he is the greatest of all but to my eyes he is the simply the greatest. (especially after winning Roland Garros which I seriously doubted)
Just a simple point to substantiate my view - no one in the history of the game has been so consistent over a period of time and this alone is testimony to prove all his detractors!