How Sinner Won More Points Than Alcaraz But Still Lost Roland Garros Final

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's extraordinary Roland Garros final will never be forgotten. It also proved the uniqueness of the tennis scoring system.

After five hours and 29 minutes of outstanding drama on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Alcaraz prevailed 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 after saving three championship points at 3-5, 0-40 in the fourth set. Sinner also had a chance to serve it out at 5-4.

The sheer drama and quality of the match, widely considered to be one of the best ever played, meant it was challenging for all those watching at the time to consider the statistical nuances that showed how unique the sport is.

Tennis is one of the few sports in which a player can win more individual points than their opponent but still finish as the loser. That is what happened to Sinner at Roland Garros, despite dominating much of the match.

Sinner won 193 points compared to Alcaraz's 192. This proves that tennis is not about winning every point or every game. In tight battles, prevailing in most of the critical points makes the biggest difference.

Until 3-5, 0-40, Sinner had completely outplayed Alcaraz in the fourth set. How the Spaniard suddenly found another gear from that position to win the final two sets on tiebreaks was him producing his best when it mattered most.

That is not to say Sinner did not win some of the crucial games. The ATP world No. 1 showed extraordinary courage after what happened in the fourth set to break Alcaraz when he served for the championship in the fifth set.

However, Alcaraz was better more often at pivotal stages to triumph. The memorable encounter reminded us of how special the tennis scoring system is and why it should be savored for its uniqueness, which makes epic matches possible.

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer's 2019 Wimbledon final was an even more incredible example of the scoring system at work. Federer won 218 points to Djokovic's 204 and had two championship points on serve, but still lost 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

The scale of Alcaraz's comeback is also demonstrated by how far he was from winning the match compared to Sinner when the Italian had championship points. At that stage, Alcaraz needed to win a minimum of 40 points to triumph, compared to Sinner needing just one.

Of course, Alcaraz actually had to win several more points than 40 to eventually retain his Roland Garros title. The mental and physical effort required to complete that fightback will continue to be discussed decades from now.

Sinner also hit more aces, won more points on first serve, made fewer unforced errors, and won a higher percentage of points on return. It is rare for a player to lose despite those stats being in their favor, but tennis is one of the few sports where it is possible.

Alcaraz and Sinner splitting the last six Grand Slams means they are unquestionably the best players in the world right now, and more epic finals between them are inevitable. Novak Djokovic can compete against them, but he will retire sometime in the next few years, although he does not like being repeatedly asked about that.