Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Wimbledon men's final on Sunday, becoming the first Italian to win the singles title at SW19. The victory marked a changing of the guard, as it was the first Wimbledon final since 2002 without at least one of the 'big four' – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray.
Sinner, who had lost a five-set epic to Alcaraz in the French Open just five weeks ago, said the win was deeply emotional. 'Even if I don't cry, it feels emotional because only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through,' he said. 'It has been everything except easy.' The world No 1 credited a stoic mindset and hard practice for overcoming that defeat.
The match featured exhilarating tennis, with Alcaraz winning a stunning 18-shot rally early on and taking the first set. However, Sinner broke at the start of the second set and levelled the match with three extraordinary winners. He then broke early in the third and fourth sets to take control. Alcaraz, who had come from behind in Paris, attempted a comeback but this time Sinner held firm.
Speaking afterwards, Alcaraz praised the rivalry: 'I don't see any player having the level that we are playing when we face each other.' Sinner, who once idolised skier Bode Miller and was a national junior runner-up in giant slalom before focusing on tennis, said the title was a dream come true. 'Back in the days when I was young, this was only a dream of the dream,' he said. 'So I am just living my dream.'
