‘I won’t sleep… it hurts': Jannik Sinner fights tears after devastating loss to Carlos Alcaraz in French Open final

After losing the French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, a dejected Jannik Sinner said he would not be able to sleep that well.

Jannik Sinner gave everything he had in trying to mask his tears behind multiple nervous smiles but the pain and disappointment in his eyes and a shaken voice gave it all away, much like he gave it his all in the French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz. He was one point away from winning his maiden French Open title and a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year's US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs when Alcaraz staged a comeback for the ages to not only win the fourth set by saving three match points but also win the epic fifth set on tie break to defend his title on clay.

Jannik Sinner fights tears in his on-court speech

After the match, which turned out to be the longest French Open final in the open era, a dejected Sinner said he would not be able to sleep that well but would try to "delete it somehow" and come back stronger next year.

"It's easier to play than talking now," said a devastated Sinner in his on-court speech. "I won't sleep very well tonight but it's OK."

"We gave everything we had to reach this point in the tournament. Even though it is very, very difficult right now, it was a great tournament," Sinner said while thanking his team in the stands.

The World No.1 did not have tears rolling down his cheeks but he ticked all other possible parameters (if ever there were one) to measure heartbreaks.

"We try to delete it somehow and take the positive and keep going. There are no other ways," he added.

"It hurts, but you cannot keep crying."

Sinner suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final -- and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.

Alcaraz leads 8-4 overall having also beaten Sinner in the final in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban.

Jannik Sinner floored by Carlos Alcaraz's comeback

Sinner, who brushed aside the legendary Novak Djokovic in the semi-final in straight sets, took the first two sets of the final against Alcaraz. It all looked to be going his way when he broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, but the Spaniard refused to surrender his title quietly and rattled off four games on the bounce to lead 4-1.

Alcaraz lost serve at 5-3 but promptly broke to love to force a fourth set, lapping up the roars of the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.

That ended Sinner's run of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams.

Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amid a series of holds as Sinner doubled down. The Italian appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke at 3-3 to approach the finish line.

But Alcaraz had other ideas as he staved off three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner when he tried to seal the title on his serve.

Successive aces spurred a reinvigorated Alcaraz on in the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set.

A despairing Sinner lost his serve right away, and his gloom deepened as Alcaraz saved two break points to pull 3-1 ahead, but incredibly, there was another twist.

Alcaraz this time faltered with the title within his grasp as Sinner broke while trailing 5-3 to spark a three-game burst that left the Spaniard needing to hold serve to prolong the final.

He kept his nerve to set up a 10-point tie-break, which Alcaraz ran away with as the outrageous shotmaking continued until the very end when he took his first championship point with a sizzling forehand.