It feels like only Alcaraz can put him in danger," Cervara, Medvedev's coach, analyzes the monumental final played between Alcaraz and Sinner

For *L’Équipe*, Gilles Cervara, Daniil Medvedev’s coach, broke down the impressive final contested by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner yesterday at Roland-Garros.

The 44-year-old coach highlighted Alcaraz’s ability to trouble the world No. 1, even when he was backed into a corner during the match:

"At first, with Sinner pulling ahead, you just hope for a tighter final that makes you think, rather than one where it depends on who makes too many mistakes. But no, a thousand times no! It was ‘Fast and Furious.’ Alcaraz plays in bursts.

Suddenly, he has a lightning-fast stretch that overtakes Sinner. But since the Italian can maintain a high level and doesn’t falter, he forces Alcaraz to either play even better or sustain a very strong average level that he can’t always keep up with.

It’s like on the highway: you’ve got some idiot driving at 200 km/h, then 120, then 200 again, while you’re cruising steadily at 130. He passes you even though you haven’t slowed down, and then you pass him back without speeding up. [...]

It feels like only Alcaraz can put him in danger. Because he disrupts Sinner’s rhythm with his variety of shots—something other players lack. He throws different kinds of balls at you—varying heights, angles, speeds, etc. And there’s also the rhythm in his playstyle: one moment he’s not playing well, and suddenly he’s playing incredibly well. That must unsettle Sinner.

This tempo—slowing down, then accelerating—will be his trademark, it’ll always be there. Instead of being a flaw, it’ll be a strength. Even when he’s ahead, Alcaraz can lose the match. But when he’s backed against the wall, he can hit the gas at any moment without any lulls.