World No.1 bounces back from RG disappointment to clinch maiden title at SW19
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFT“Champions learn from the losses,” said Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday after the Wimbledon final.
He was referring to his familiar foe Jannik Sinner, who pulled off a tremendous turnaround, overcoming the heartbreaking defeat he suffered at the hands of Alcaraz from three match points up in the Roland-Garros final, only to beat the Spaniard in the championship decider at Wimbledon 35 days later.
Sinner snapped a five-match losing streak to Alcaraz with a near-flawless 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 performance at the All England Club on Sunday, and in the process, became the first Italian to lift the singles trophy at Wimbledon.
It was Sinner’s fourth Grand Slam title - and first at SW19 – and it saw him end Alcaraz’s 24-match winning streak for the season and 20-match winning run at Wimbledon.
Given where he was in Paris just over a month ago, and where he stood in his rivalry with Alcaraz, Sinner really needed this victory – something both he and his coach Darren Cahill admitted to on Sunday.
“Today was important for many, many reasons,” Cahill told reporters at Wimbledon.
“Carlos has had the wood over him for the last five matches. They've played amazing matches, and Jannik has had chances in maybe four of the five matches they've played to beat him. Hasn't been able to get the victory. So today was important not just because it was a Grand Slam final, not just because it was Wimbledon, and not just because Carlos had won the last five matches against him. He needed that win today.”
Sinner agreed the win is “important, for sure, because when you lose several times against someone, it's not easy.
“But in the same time in the past I felt that I was very close.
“I never put myself down. I always, and I keep looking up to Carlos because even today I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did. So that's something where we will work on and prepare ourselves because he's going to come for us again. There is not only Carlos, but everyone.
“We have a big target on us, so we have to be prepared.”
The first break point opportunity of the final came in game five and it led to Sinner opening up a 4-2 lead early on in the contest.
Alcaraz knew he had to do something special to disrupt the world No.1 and he utilised his forehand slice to brilliant effect to break back and inch ahead 5-4.
A clever body second serve from Sinner saw the Italian save a set point in game 10 but he double-faulted to give Alcaraz a second shot at taking the first set.
This time Alcaraz didn’t hesitate and he used some incredible defence on the stretch to scoop the opening frame in 44 minutes.
Sinner ended a four-game losing run by masterfully handling a 140mph serve from Alcaraz to break the Spaniard at the start of the second set.
That one break was enough for Sinner to level the match and the Italian followed a similar pattern in sets three and four, breaking once in each of them to secure a historic title.
With members of both the British and Spanish royal families watching on, Sinner started his victory speech by paying tribute to Alcaraz, who still holds an 8-5 head-to-head lead in their rivalry.
“Again, an amazing tournament, but mostly, thank you for the player you are,” said Sinner.
“It’s so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship also off the court and on the court, we just try to build up. And for doing that we need the best teams in the world, and also you have the best team. So keep going, keep pushing, you’re going to hold many times this trophy – you already have two,” he added with a laugh.
Sinner played a clinical match, taking advantage of Alcaraz’s relatively low first-serve percentage (53%) by attacking the Spaniard’s second delivery.
The world No.1 went to the net 40 times, winning 30 of those points, and came up with some clutch serves when he needed them the most.
The 23-year-old was more animated than usual during the match and let emotions take over during a moment after he won, where crouched down with his head in his hands before tapping his hand on the grass multiple times in ecstasy.
“It feels emotional because only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court, and it has been everything except easy,” said Sinner.
“We've tried to push, every practice session, even I was struggling at times mentally. Maybe even more in practice sessions because I feel like when I play the match, I can switch off and just play. I believe that this helped me a lot.
“To share this moment with my whole family here, it's the most amazing thing that could have happened to me, no?
“In Paris it was only my mom, and it was still an amazing feeling. Here my dad and my brother and my mom too and the whole team, not only from my coaches' perspective, but everyone who works for me has been here. It has been, yeah, an amazing feeling.”
Cahill, who coaches Sinner alongside Simone Vagnozzi, is impressed by how Sinner responded to his bitter loss in Paris last month.
“He saw it for what it was, understood that he played an incredible match at Roland-Garros. He was beaten in the end by a better player. Never played a better clay court match than what he played there,” said the Aussie.
“So he knew he was improving as a tennis player, and he was able to put it to one side and just focus on the next day. That's a pretty rare quality to have. It's a great effort by Jannik.”
©Clément Mahoudeau / FFTFor Alcaraz, seeing his shot at a Wimbledon threepeat disappear was disappointing, but the world No.2 assured that he walks away from these Championships with his head held high.
He followed up his fifth Grand Slam triumph at Roland-Garros with a title on grass at Queens, and was one win away from defending his crown at the All England Club.
“It's always a bad feeling losing matches. I think it's a little bit even worse when you lose in a final,” said the 22-year-old from Murcia.
“Overall I'm just really proud about everything I've done, the last four weeks on grass here in London. I just leave Wimbledon, I just left the court with the head really, really, really high because that I just did everything that I could today. Just I played against someone who played an unbelievable game.
“So just a little bit sad about losing, but with the head really high.”
Just like the members of the ‘Big Three’ helped lift each other’s games, Alcaraz is “grateful” that Sinner continues to challenge him to up his level.
“This rivalry, it's becoming better and better,” said Alcaraz.
“We're building a really great rivalry because we're playing final of a Grand Slam, final of Master mills, the best tournament in the world. It's going to be better and better.
“Just really grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to just give my 100 percent every practice, every day. Just to be better, thanks to that. The level that I have to maintain and I have to raise if I want to beat Jannik is really high.
“So I’m just really grateful for that.”
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
