World No. 1 Jannik Sinner avenged his heartbreaking French Open loss in stunning fashion as he defeated Carlos Alcaraz to claim his first Wimbledon title on Sunday. The 23-year-old Italian overcame a slow start to beat the Spanish star 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in a high-intensity showdown that marked his maiden Wimbledon final appearance.
The victory also saw Sinner end Alcaraz’s career-best 24-match winning streak, while making history as the first Italian ever to win Wimbledon — widely considered the most prestigious Grand Slam of all.
Sinner, who now holds four major titles (two Australian Opens, one US Open, and Wimbledon), showcased his trademark precision and composure despite losing the first set. Alcaraz came out firing with heavy pace and crafty drop shots, and rallied from 2-4 down to win the opener. However, Sinner responded with three tightly-contested set wins, sealing the title with resilience and clinical baseline play.
Sinner had stormed into the finals after dropping just 17 games in his first three matches and surviving a fourth-round scare against Grigor Dimitrov, who retired due to injury. He also needed elbow treatment but pushed through to beat Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic en route to his fifth Grand Slam final.
After the match, Sinner said (as quoted by the ATP website):
“I would like to start with Carlos. Again, an amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are. It is so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship off the court and on the court, we just try to build up, and to do that we need the best teams in the world. Keep going, keep pushing and you are going to hold this trophy many times. You already have two titles.”
He also added with a smile:
“It is so special. Seeing my parents here, my brother, my whole team, it is amazing. Actually a special thanks to my brother, because there is no Formula 1 race this weekend, that is why he is here.”
Alcaraz, 22, graciously congratulated Sinner during the trophy ceremony:
“It is difficult to lose… It is a really well-deserved trophy [after] an unbelievable two weeks here in London for you (Sinner), playing great tennis. For your team as well. I know that there are a lot of family and a lot of friends watching you here, so it is just an amazing team around you.”
“I am really proud about everything I’m doing. At the beginning of the season, I struggled a bit on the court and off the court, but then suddenly I just started to really enjoy being on court again… It is a great journey so far which I am really proud about. I just want to keep it going.”
The final was a testament to the growing rivalry and mutual respect between two of the sport’s most talented young stars, and fans can expect many more thrilling encounters in the years ahead.