Novak Djokovic recently opened up about a disagreement with his wife Jelena regarding the 2025 French Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Serb was knocked out in the semifinals by Sinner and had no intention of watching what would become one of the most historic matches in tennis history.
Djokovic revealed that he was back home in Serbia when the final took place on Jun. 8. But then he went out for lunch with his wife during the first half of the match. His reluctance to watch was understandable, given that Sinner had defeated him just days earlier in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3).
Novak Djokovic’s Reluctant Witness to History
Despite his initial reluctance, Djokovic eventually watched the match. “My wife wanted to watch the final but I didn’t want to watch it. The first part of the match we went outside for lunch. We came back and I ended up watching it. Incredible, incredible match. Huge credit to both of them,” he said.
The Serbian acknowledged both young stars’ exceptional standard of play, calling it “amazing.”
Novak Djokovic says Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz’ Roland Garros final was one of the most historic matches ever
“It is a different surface, a different style of play but what they produced in the final in Paris was amazing.”
“To be honest, I was in my country. My wife wanted… pic.twitter.com/udcRxokFEN
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 26, 2025
Djokovic’s appreciation for the match was particularly notable given his recent struggles against both players. Sinner had defeated him for the fourth consecutive time in their semifinal encounter, while Alcaraz had previously beaten him in the previous two Wimbledon finals.
The 38-year-old star’s comments reflected his growing respect for the new generation of players who are beginning to dominate the sport. Alcaraz and Sinner have now won seven of the last eight Grand Slam titles between them, showing their prowess.
The ‘Historic’ Roland Garros Final
The 2025 French Open final between World No. 1 Sinner and defending champion Alcaraz turned out to be a generational clash. The match saw the Spaniard come back from two sets down to defeat Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) in front of a mesmerized crowd at Roland Garros.
The encounter broke multiple records. It surpassed the previous longest French Open final, which lasted four hours and 42 minutes between Mats Wilander and Guillermo Vilas in 1982. The match also became the second-longest Grand Slam final in history, behind only the 2012 Australian Open final.
Alcaraz saved three championship points in the fourth set when Sinner was serving at 5-3, 40-0, demonstrating remarkable mental strength under pressure. The Spanish champion became only the third man in the Open Era to win a major after being championship points down after Gaston Gaudio (2004 French Open) and Novak Djokovic himself (2019 Wimbledon).
