Sinner reveals how badly he struggled after losing to Alcaraz at Roland Garros 2025

Pedro de Pablos | 19 May 2026 | 19.07

Sinner reveals how difficult it was for him after losing to Alcaraz at Roland Garros. Source: Getty Images.

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Jannik Sinner is the master of the tennis circuit today. After completing his Masters 1000 collection at the ATP Rome 2026, the world number one arrives at Roland Garros as the clear favorite to attempt to also achieve the Career Grand Slam. However, he has revealed how tough it was for him at this tournament a year ago after his tough loss in the final against Carlos Alcaraz.

The tennis player from San Candido had three match points in the fourth set, but ended up succumbing to Carlos Alcaraz in the toughest defeat of his career, something he has delved into in an interview with L'Equipe before attempting to win the Parisian major for the first time, which would allow him to complete all major tournaments of the ATP circuit by the age of just 24 in a historic year for him, with the Olympic gold medal as the only remaining task.

"It was one of the toughest moments of my career. I would lie if I said it was easy to turn the page. I always try to move on quickly, even when I win. And that's how I managed to triumph at Wimbledon shortly after. But I learned valuable lessons from that defeat in Paris," Sinner stated. He learned so much that a year later he has won all the Masters 1000 tournaments on the clay court tour and is on his way to making history at Roland Garros by achieving what only Rafa Nadal could do.

Sinner talks about his experience with a doping sanction

Another tough moment in Sinner's career was that infamous three-month ban after testing positive for clostebol, which he served after winning the 2025 Australian Open. "The hardest part was the months leading up to my suspension, because I couldn't talk to anyone about it. I looked very sad on the court, and I was. I didn't feel free. But I believe nothing happens by chance. I am convinced all this has made me a stronger person. I realized who my true friends were, and that also helped me. I wouldn't necessarily say it changed me, but it made me realize a couple of things."

He still insists on his innocence and that it wasn't his fault. "It was a difficult episode to overcome, because I had to face the consequences of a mistake that wasn't mine. One morning, I woke up with the idea of making something positive out of it. I spent time with my family and then returned to work, dedicating a lot of time to the gym. When I returned to the tour in Rome (in May 2025), I was happy and relieved. I just wanted to enjoy the moment, and that's what I did. After that, I played excellent tennis."

Sinner responds to critics calling him a robot

Another topic surrounding Sinner's figure is the feeling that he is a robot when he steps onto the court, a label he doesn't consider negative towards himself. "I have the image of a player without emotions, but that's because I am very focused on what I have to do. That doesn't mean I don't have a storm in my head sometimes; I just try not to show it to my opponents. Robot doesn't seem like a derogatory term to me, that's how I operate. I always try to be as precise as possible, execute the right shot at the right moment, and that requires being in very good physical and mental shape."

These values that Sinner exudes on the court are also the result of a humble family and a childhood where he had to mature rapidly due to the situation at home. "As a child, I only saw my parents in the evenings and early in the morning because they were at the restaurant all day. After returning from school, I would have dinner at my grandparents' house and then quickly change to train. I had to learn many things on my own, and I firmly believe that made me mature."

His parents, keys to his character

"What struck me about my parents' upbringing was that, no matter what happened at the restaurant, no matter how difficult it was, they always came home with a smile. It was impossible to tell if they had had a good or a bad day, and that's the mindset I try to have today. In tennis, there are good days and bad days; that's just how things are. But when I leave the court, I return to being a normal person and try to be content with what I have. Living in the moment, without dwelling too much on the past or the future, giving my best: that's what I learned from my parents," he concluded.

These statements help understand both Sinner's lifestyle and his demeanor, much more reserved than other tennis players except with his closest circle. Nonetheless, internally, he is a competitive beast constantly breaking records and not giving any clues to his rivals about how he feels, leaving them in constant uncertainty when facing a player destined to mark an era and become one of the greatest of all time.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sinner desvela lo mal que lo pasó tras perder con Alcaraz en Roland Garros 2025