When Alcaraz, Sinner dazzled, left us almost blinded and breathless

You know what they're calling it? Alcaraz versus Sinner and their 5h29m? This longest French Open final over the last 100 years of the event's international competition?

- Sharda Ugra

At the end of Sunday's nerve-shredding, head-clutching, soaring mind-bender of a men's singles final, it has been placed by many as among its top five or six.

There's apparently lists being made of TopWhatever Grand Slam GOAT finals, with fierce debates on Alcaraz-Sinner's inclusion or exclusion there. Wherever you saw the final, savour it, let it roll about in your mind. You know where it stands in your own sporting and emotional matrix, let the pedantic de-construct.

Here is where we stand on the Monday morning after. Firstly, it's a public holiday. Nothing to do with the tennis but to mark Pentecost Monday, the 50 days after Easter. Tennis' holy trinity anyway stands disbanded; A fortnight ago, the Quartet (including Andy Murray) gathered to pay tribute to Roland Garros' favourite son.

During their epic final, the two leaders of Gen Now left not merely a mark but a part of themselves - sweat, guts, heart, soul, tenor, timbre - on the Chatrier, appropriately alongside Rafa's footprint.

And then asked the world, guys, do you see us now?

We knew them and of them earlier but on Sunday we saw Alcaraz and Sinner combined at their brightest and were left almost blinded and breathless by their light. Alcaraz, defending champion, had already won four Grand Slams at the age of 22.

Jannik Sinner, 23, is world No. 1, a player of clean, linear efficiency, deafening power in his racket and an 18-1 win-loss record for the season before Sunday. When the second week of Roland Garros began, there lurked some moaning about the event being 'flat', without you know who. In their final, Alcaraz and Sinner wiped that slate clean over five hours and marked a milestone in their rivalry.