The tennis calendar is so unforgiving that it almost forces players and fans to move on from what might have been the most exciting or crushing matches of their lives.
This month’s French Open final marks the perfect example.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played out the most extraordinary match in recent memory; a five-set epic where the former came from two sets to love down to claim the title.
The tennis world and beyond stopped to watch in awe history unfolding before their very eyes.
And yet, less than two weeks on, the grass-court season is in full swing, with clay a thing of the past.
Some, like Darren Cahill and his team, might find it harder than others to move on.
Darren Cahill reacts to Jannik Sinner’s French Open final defeat
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, they could not get Cahill on without touching on that legendary showdown earlier this month.
Speaking about these two superstars, destined to dominate for the next decade and beyond, the Aussie claimed: ’And with that, they have great self-awareness. I think Carlos has it as well. I think he’s very aware of his surroundings, very aware of his success and his popularity. And Jannik is as well, and all at the same time, he’s able to keep his feet on the ground.
‘So what you see from the outside, you know, we were so damn proud of him, regardless of whether he won or lost that match. Obviously, we wanted him to win that match, we were heartbroken not to win it, but you send a player on the court, the one thing you ask for is for that player to give them everything you have. That’s it as a coach, and he gave us more than that.
‘So, when you look at a tennis match, the way it was played, how good it was, how well those two guys competed, no toilet breaks, no physios, no trainers, no complaining, just pure five and a half hours of brilliant tennis, business-like tennis, great respect between the two players. You can’t ask for anything more as a coach.
‘So, regardless of the result, I take my hat off to Carlos. He’s an amazing young man, we have an incredible respect for him, but believe it or not, I’ve been with Jannik for over three years now. I have more respect for him now watching after that match in the Roland Garros final than I had before that, and that’s hard to say because I know him pretty damn well. So, for me, that was the biggest takeaway from that French Open final.’
Carlos Alcaraz revealed what so many people have told him about the French Open final, which should offer some solace to Sinner.
Jannik Sinner has the perfect mentality to bounce back at Wimbledon
Sinner has already proven his unflinching mentality throughout a sparkling short career thus far, and whilst this will surely be the most crushing defeat yet, there’s no doubt that he’ll bounce back from this too.
Fortunately, the French Open’s finish offers little time for skulking around, as redemption is just around the corner.
Wimbledon starts in less than two weeks.
There, the 23-year-old will be handed the perfect opportunity for revenge, to exorcise the Philippe Chatrier demons that will haunt him for years to come.
Nobody ever really forgets these kinds of defeats, but the measure of an elite player is how they recover.
The world will be watching Sinner’s response with eagerness, first at Halle this week, and then at Wimbledon later this month.
