Article titled “History lessons”, provides a briefing on recent developments in the world of tennis, focusing on both the men’s and women’s games, particularly in the context of a recent Grand Slam tournament, implied to be the French Open given the mention of Roland-Garros.

Here are the key elements from the sources:

• General Theme: The article discusses the commonality of historical greatness in sports and notes a trend where present-day virtuosi may not always match the achievements of older champions. It suggests that tennis, specifically, offers evidence to explore this dynamic.
• Men’s Tennis Focus:
  • The article highlights the recent French Open final, describing it as the latest piece of evidence in the narrative.
  • Carlos Alcaraz is a central figure, having won the French Open final against Alexander Zverev in a five-set match that lasted over five hours and 29 minutes. This victory marked Alcaraz’s fifth Grand Slam trophy.
  • Jannik Sinner is also given significant credit alongside Alcaraz, with both players having displayed impressive form. The article states that World No. 2 (referring to Sinner) became only the third man after Gustavo Kuerten and Rafael Nadal to defend titles at Roland-Garros this millennium.
  • Alcaraz and Sinner are noted for their recent dominance, having collectively won seven of the last six Majors and eight of the previous 11. They are described as being “firmly perched at the top of tennis’ current totem pole”.
  • The article briefly mentions Novak Djokovic, noting his past achievement of winning 29 straight sets at Slams.
• Women’s Tennis Focus:
  • The document discusses the performance of Coco Gauff, who is described as having proven steadier under “treacherous conditions” and against an “erratic opponent” in a match lasting two hours and 38 minutes. Gauff, at 21, was playing in her second Major. Despite having nursed “consecutive defeats in Slam finals,” her improving technique suggests she is likely to “rise further”.
  • Aryna Sabalenka is mentioned as having been the favourite but was ousted by three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek.