Key points
- Sinner downed defending champion Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
- He is the first Italian to win at the All England Club
- Says it is so difficult to play against Carlos Alcaraz
LONDON: Jannik Sinner downed defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon title, gaining sweet revenge for his painful defeat in the French Open final.
The world number one is the first Italian to win at the All England Club and now has four Grand Slams to his name at the age of 23.
Sinner stayed ice cool after losing the first set, with the momentum quickly shifting, and wrapped up victory in a shade over three hours.
He had squandered three championship points in the final at Roland Garros five weeks ago, but this time made no mistake as he served out for victory.
“Amazing tournament”
Sinner said he was living his “dream”, prompting an eruption of cheers from the Centre Court crowd.
“An amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are,” Sinner said, referring to his defeated opponent.
“It’s so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship off the court and on the court… Keep going, keep pushing and you are going to hold this (trophy) many times. You already have two!”
The tennis world has been captivated by the developing rivalry between the players to follow the storied “Big Three” era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“Tough loss”
Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz have now shared the past seven Grand Slam titles between them, with the Italian winning four of those.
Defeat in Paris last month was a bitter blow for the top seed, who led by two sets and had a clutch of championship points.
Sinner said he had tried to learn from his “tough loss” on clay.
“We tried to accept the loss and just kept working,” he said. “This is for sure one of the reasons I am holding this trophy here.
“I am just so grateful that I am healthy and have great people around me, and holding this trophy means a lot.”
Prior to Sunday’s victory, Sinner had lost five consecutive times against Alcaraz, including the final of the Italian Open in the first tournament he played after returning from a three-month doping ban.
But this time, he turned the tables in impressive fashion, denying world number two Alcaraz a sixth major.
