Jannik Sinner suffered a devastating collapse at the French Open final on Sunday, squandering a two-set advantage and three match points before falling to Carlos Alcaraz in a marathon five-setter.
The world No 1 appeared in complete control after establishing a 6-4, 7-6 (4) lead against the defending champion.
Having won two consecutive Grand Slam titles and with Alcaraz's poor record when trailing 0-2 at majors, victory seemed assured for the Italian.
However, the 23-year-old's inability to close out the match proved costly.
Jannik Sinner dropped a two-set lead and three championship points during his final loss to Carlos Alcaraz
Reuters
After missing three consecutive match points at 5-3 in the fourth set, Sinner also failed to serve out for victory in the following game.
Emma Raducanu's coach Mark Petchey believes Sinner's defeat was directly linked to his recent three-month anti-doping suspension.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Petchey said: "I think there is a lot of people who feel that he did not pay a price when he had his three months away from the game.
"He paid his price today."
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Mark Petchey is currently coaching Emma Raducanu
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The British coach pointed to Sinner's lack of competitive match practice at the highest level as a crucial factor in the Italian's inability to close out the contest.
Petchey explained: "He has not played a lot of big matches in recent months and I think the emotional toll, as well as he did to turn things around and make a revival in the fifth set, was crucial for him against someone like Carlos Alcaraz."
The match turned dramatically in the third set when Alcaraz fought back from a break down to claim the set.
Sinner's opportunity to seal victory came at 5-3 in the fourth set, but he faltered on all three championship points.
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The Spaniard capitalised on these missed chances, eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in a contest lasting five hours and 29 minutes.
The defeat ended Sinner's Grand Slam winning streak and marked his second consecutive final loss to Alcaraz.
Despite maintaining composure afterwards, the Italian could not hide his disappointment at the painful defeat.
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Jannik Sinner struggled to contain his emotions after the match
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Sinner had returned to competitive tennis at the Italian Open following his three-month suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The ban came after two failed anti-doping tests in March 2024, though the Italian maintained his innocence throughout.
His suspension followed his Australian Open triumph earlier in the year.
The enforced break from competition meant limited opportunities to test himself against elite opponents before facing Alcaraz in Paris.
Petchey suggested that whilst many felt Sinner had escaped lightly with his suspension, the French Open final demonstrated he had "paid a pretty significant price in terms of not putting a third straight Grand Slam on his resume."
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