Jannik Sinner suffered a heartbreaking loss in the Roland Garros final, missing three match points and falling to Carlos Alcaraz after five hours and 29 minutes.

After an epic duel, Jannik took a moment to reflect on tennis’ greatest champions and what his generation inherited.

World no. 1 expressed gratitude for having shared the court with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

However, one name stood out for being absent.

Sinner admitted he would have loved to face Roger Federer, especially on the biggest stage at some Major.

While having the opportunity to train with him in Rome, Jannik did not face Roger in the official matches, as the Swiss had been struggling with a knee injury since the beginning of 2020.

Still, the 23-year-old finds himself in the heart of a new tennis era – defining rivalry with Alcaraz and exploring new ground.

The Italian reflected on the level of tennis he and his greatest rival produced on a memorable day in Paris.

The 23-year-old praised the atmosphere and expressed his gratitude for being a part of it.

While disappointed to leave Roland Garros without the trophy, Jannik remains proud of the level he displayed.

With everything he has achieved since the second part of 2023, the Italian should be optimistic about what lies ahead.

The most recent Major may have slipped out of reach, but the future is very much his to shape, maybe already at Wimbledon.

“Every rivalry is different. Tennis was a bit different in the past. In today’s game, the ball travels fast, and it’s very physical.

I was lucky enough to face Novak and Rafa at Majors, and unfortunately, it did not happen against Roger.

Beating those guys means a lot, and I have the same feeling when I face Carlos and other players.

It’s good for tennis itself and the crowd when we produce tennis like this.

The atmosphere was great today, and being a part of it was special. I would have been even happier if I had the trophy here with me, but I can not change that now,” Jannik Sinner said.