Carlos Alcaraz suspicions raised as Jannik Sinner's coach makes 13-word comment

The 2025 French Open men's singles final will go down as one of the all-time great contests of its kind. But Jannik Sinner's coach, Simone Vagnozzi, has shone the spotlight on one particular part of Carlos Alcaraz's play that raises some suspicions.

In a battle that looks likely to headline Grand Slam finals for years to come, Alcaraz bested Sinner in a five-set duel for the ages. And the victory was that much sweeter after he came back from two sets down to deliver a masterclass in persistence at Roland Garros. But Vagnozzi delivered a powerful 13-word assessment of exactly how Alcaraz managed to turn the tide from the brink of defeat. And it's a ploy that could serve the Spanish superstar well at certain tournaments in future, too.

"Alcaraz was also a bit 'smart' to get the crowd on his side," said Vagnozzi as he lavished praise upon the five-time major-winner. "He was down two sets to zero and needed energy. He was good at managing it this way."

Owing to his Spanish heritage and tennis icon Rafael Nadal's previous dominance in Paris, it should come as no surprise that clay specialist Alcaraz has strong support in France. But Vagnozzi was magnanimous in admitting that sway in momentum from the crowd can work both ways.

"I think the crowd was key to boosting Alcaraz, but not to penalise Jannik," he added. "The truth is that Carlos was very clever in seeking people's support and managed it well, but we cannot use that as a key factor for the outcome.

"There are times when playing with people against you can also be good, as extra motivation, and we must not forget that in Rome, Sinner was the one who had most of the support."

It's to be expected that players curry more favour in certain settings than others. And dealing with that pressure, which can often verge into animosity, is part and parcel with winning on the biggest stages in the sport.

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Alcaraz has done it on every major stage except one to date. The Murcian has won two French Opens, two Wimbledon titles and one US Open crown but is yet to get his hands on the Australian Open.

Sinner, meanwhile, has thrived more in Melbourne and won two Australian Opens, along with last year's US Open title. And as he prepares to get his 2025 Wimbledon campaign underway this week, the 23-year-old will be more aware than most of the impact the crowd could have on his fortunes at SW19.