logo
Tennis-Sinner banishes Roland Garros demons to de-throne Alcaraz at Wimbledon

Tennis-Sinner banishes Roland Garros demons to de-throne Alcaraz at Wimbledon

Hindustan Times14 hours ago
By Martyn Herman HT Image
LONDON, - When Jannik Sinner arrived at three match points in the fourth set of his Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, the memory of what happened five weeks ago in Paris was flashing through the minds of everyone inside Centre Court.
Everyone, perhaps, except world number one Sinner, who managed to banish any lurking demons from the darkest recesses of his brain to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory and become the first Italian Wimbledon singles champion.
Just as on the Parisian clay, 23-year-old Sinner was the better player for long periods. Just as at Roland Garros he had the title in his hands.
But unlike that day when three consecutive match points vanished in the fourth set and Alcaraz roared back to win the longest French Open final ever, this time the ice-cool Sinner was never going to be denied.
Alcaraz, whose bid to become only the fifth man in the professional era to win three successive Wimbledon titles was watched from the Royal Box by Spain's King Felipe, saved one match point.
But this time there was no escape for Alcaraz as Sinner fired down an unreturnable serve.
There were no ecstatic celebrations. Sinner raised his arms to the sky, before consoling the man he de-throned and headed off in time-honoured fashion to embrace those in his box.
"Back in the days when I was young, this was only a dream, because it was so far away from where I'm from," the man from the Dolomites who could have been a top skier, said on court.
"Emotionally I had a very tough loss in Paris. So I'm very happy that I held my nerves and yeah, it's an amazing feeling.
While Sunday's duel contained some mind-boggling points, it lacked the twists of last month's Roland Garros roller-coaster.
It did, though, underline why the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry is set to dominate men's tennis for the foreseeable future.
Alcaraz had led their series 8-4 entering Sunday's final, including winning their last five showdowns. So while Sinner was fuelled by a shot at redemption, he also needed to make a statement.
He did so with a superlative display of craft and skill. He refused to be knocked off track by losing the last four games of the first set and went on to pick apart Alcaraz's game with a level of tennis his opponent could not match.
GREAT RIVALRY
"It is always difficult to lose even if it is in the final. I have to congratulate Jannik once again," Alcaraz, who lost for the first time in 25 matches dating back to April, said.
"I am really happy for you. Keep it going. It is great to build a great rivalry and you made me improve every day."
But for Alcaraz's astonishing comeback in Paris, Sinner would now hold all four Grand Slam titles, having won last year's U.S. Open and a second Australian Open this year.
He had a large slice of luck en route to his first Wimbledon final when Grigor Dimitrov retired injured while leading by two sets in their fourth-round clash.
Since then he barely put a foot wrong.
Alcaraz was below his best on Sunday and was always vulnerable to Sinner's crisp, early ball-striking. He still hit back from a slow start though and clinched the first set with a stretching backhand sliced winner from an impossible position.
Sinner grabbed an early break in the second though and consolidated it despite a Champagne cork popping and landing on the court prompting a chorus of loud boos.
Just as Alcaraz sealed the opening set in style, Sinner produced a moment of magic to take the second, whipping an audacious forehand winner at full elastic stretch.
The third set felt crucial and after a lull it was Alcaraz who blinked, dropping serve at 4-4 after a slide and slip on the baseline allowed Sinner to guide away a winner.
Sinner duly held serve to move one set from victory but after what happened in Paris five weeks ago, it still felt like the finishing line was far away.
But the usual Alcaraz exuberance was missing and he was scowling after Sinner clubbed away a backhand winner off a short second serve to gain an early break in the fourth.
Alcaraz's mood darkened when Sinner held serve for a 4-2 lead with a net cord off of a forehand.
Sinner survived a huge test of his nerve at 4-3, 15-40 when a break may have re-ignited Alcaraz but he showed remarkable composure to take the next four points.
The biggest examination came at 5-4 though with Sinner obliged to serve for the title and he passed it with barely a backward glance.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Your views on their content are taking Influencers places
Your views on their content are taking Influencers places

Mint

time36 minutes ago

  • Mint

Your views on their content are taking Influencers places

Followers' views on influencers' social media posts are becoming their tickets to global events such as Wimbledon, Coachella and the F1 premiere. Companies such as JioStar, Warner Bros and Heineken are roping in creators to attend and promote these events. Take Sakshi Keswani, a comedy content creator with over 2 million followers on her Instagram handle @_beingsuku_. JioStar has flown Keswani to London for the second time to create content around the ongoing Wimbledon matches at the central court. Previously, the streaming platform sponsored her to attend the English Football League in May 2024. Keswani highlighted that the content she created at both these events performed well on social media and recorded a surge in her followers. 'I gained 30-60% new followers with the content I created at these events. That is because my content usually revolves around light-hearted humour, but at these sporting events, especially at the time they were happening and being talked about, my videos got pushed to new users, especially those interested in the sports or curious about them. I also created a video with footballer Bukayo Saka last time that went viral," she highlighted. Manav Chabra, a lifestyle creator who is also at Wimbledon through his collaboration with JioStar, said that the best part about shooting content at such events is the rawness and unpredictability. 'The biggest difference in the content created at these events is that it is around the experience rather than just filming a planned piece. As it is immersive, and we are figuring things out in real time, we must be on our toes and think quickly about how to capture it in our own style," Chabra said. The other events he has travelled to in the past through brand sponsorships include Coachella, the Champions League, the F1 Race, and Tomorrowland. A single Wimbledon Debenture ticket can cost up to ₹1.2 lakh. But it is not just about the cost; the access they get is a bigger advantage. In most cases, the event and access are considered the main compensation for the collaboration, as it is a fully sponsored trip, said Priyanshu Goel, associate manager for growth and talent partnerships at influencer marketing agency Clout. 'However, there are times when mega influencers with millions of followers charge the brand a fee over and above the sponsorship. These collaborations are mostly offered to bigger creators with a pan Indian followership, and the views and followers are thus an important metric considered for the partnership," he said. Goel added that since the brand's goal is to create awareness about the event, it also looks for creators who create content or have a large audience interested in that event. This trend has become prevalent after covid and picked up pace in the past 2-3 years, he said. Exclusive access Shubham Gaur, who created content around comedy and cricket, attended the International Cricket Council T20 World Cup in partnership with Meta. 'At such events, we don't just get the best spot at the stadium but also the pitch and the players. Being among the only five influencers who attended the match, I got the chance to spend a lot of time with both Indian and international cricketers at breakfast and practice matches. There were dedicated time slots for us to shoot content with the players, besides that," Gaur said. Similarly, Anshu Bisht, popularly known as Gamerfleet, attended the premiere of F1 in partnership with Warner Bros in New York. 'I started creating videos as a side hustle in 2017 while working small jobs such as a tuition teacher and working at a biscuit depot in Haldwani. My last job, which I quit to pursue full-time content creation in 2020, was at a stock brokerage firm. From there to attending an event with celebrities like Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt was a dream come true. For young gamers that watch my content, this becomes an aspirational story that brings them closer to both my content and the movie I promoted," Bisht said. 'This trend of inviting the creators to events is most common among broadcasters, OTT platforms, beauty and lifestyle brands and tourism boards," said Ayush Guha, business head of talent management agency Creator18. 'They perceive the return on investment in terms of earned media value, which is the monetary worth of media coverage a brand receives, because their ultimate aim is to increase awareness about an event, more than selling anything per se." Clout's Goel added that international creator trips tend to perform 30-70% better than standard influencer campaigns, thanks to multi-format storytelling, higher engagement on travel-led content and the aspirational value they build around the brand. Hype for event For the companies sponsoring creators to such events, their content creates hype about the event within their audiences. 'By collaborating with content creators, we're able to connect with fans in more real and personal ways. These creators, all addressing their unique audiences, bring the storied competition to life in real time, capturing the atmosphere, the emotion, and the moments that often go unseen," a spokesperson from JioStar said, replying to queries shared by Mint. 'This helps us deepen fan engagement while also reaching new viewers with lesser-known facets of the event, amplifying our reach in a way that feels organic and relatable. Fans get fresh, behind-the-scenes access, while we build a stronger, more vibrant community around the sport at the same time," the JioStar spokesperson added. Platforms such as Meta and YouTube sometimes act as a bridge between the organizers of such events and the creators on their platforms. Their aim is to ensure mutual benefit where creators get more engagement in the form of likes, views and comments by creating exclusive content at such events and the organizers get marketing benefits with better return on investment than regular content. 'As a platform used by hundreds of creators, our goal is to empower them with the creative freedom to achieve their full potential. To support this objective, we strive to provide creators with access to unique opportunities that align with their ambitions. In some cases, we collaborate with ecosystem partners to facilitate access to events in a mutually beneficial way for all parties involved," a Meta spokesperson said in reply to queries shared by Mint. Apart from the ICC Champions Trophy in UAE in 2025 that Gaur attended, Meta has also facilitated creator presence at other events like the Olympics in France in 2024, ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa and the Cannes film festival.

Why Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon 2025 victories were special?
Why Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon 2025 victories were special?

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Why Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon 2025 victories were special?

For any tennis player in the world, winning the Wimbledon is one of high points in his or her career. But for Jannik Sinner, the most important thing besides winning the Wimbledon was getting better of Carlos Alcaraz. The day came on Sunday when the 23-year-old came from a set down to beat the Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 at the Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Sinner had lost five matches in a row against Alcaraz with the latest one coming in the final of the French Open earlier this year in a thrilling 5 hours and 29 minutes of play. The Wimbledon triumph was perfect revenge for the Italian. But what made Sinner's triumph special? Born in San Candido, a village in northern Italy, on the border of Austria, Sinner became the first-ever Italian - male or female - win lift the Wimbledon title. Before Sinner, two Italians came close to winning the title, but fell one match short. While Matteo Berrettini lost to Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 2021, Jasmine Paolini fell short in the women's singles final last year to Barbora Krejcikova. Like Sinner, Iga Swiatek's triumph in women's singles is also special as the Polish became the first woman from her country to lift the winner's trophy. Swiatek had defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets. For the uninitiated, Swiątek father, Tomasz had competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in rowing. Already a winner of four Grand Slams (1 US Open, 4 French Open), Swiatek's beating of Anisimova meant she became the youngest woman since a 20-year-old Serena Williams in 2002 to lift major titles on all three surfaces. She also emerged as the first player since Monica Seles in 1992 to win her first six major finals. Player Grand Slams Year Nicola Pietrangeli French Open 1959 Nicola Pietrangeli French Open 1960 Adriano Panatta French Open 1976 Francesca Schiavone French Open 2010 Flavia Pennetta US Open 2015 Jannik Sinner Australian Open 2024 Jannik Sinner US Open 2024 Jannik Sinner Australian Open 2025 Jannik Sinner Wimbledon 2025 Player Grand Slams Year Iga Swiatek French Open 2020 Iga Swiatek French Open 2022 Iga Swiatek US Open 2022 Iga Swiatek French Open 2023 Iga Swiatek French Open 2024 Iga Swiatek Wimbledon 2025

Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz: Wimbledon 2025 final shows men's tennis is ready for its next big rivalry
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz: Wimbledon 2025 final shows men's tennis is ready for its next big rivalry

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz: Wimbledon 2025 final shows men's tennis is ready for its next big rivalry

The individual honours, trophy counts, and prize money leaderboards of professional tennis players may be tracked with frenzy, but fundamentally, it is a sport that hinges on its great rivalries. Think Borg-McEnroe, Evert-Navratilova, Federer-Nadal-Djokovic. The legacy that each of these players leaves behind, the feel-good nostalgia and heightened sense of history, is intertwined with one another. For as much as the tennis calendar may be a relentless 12-month-long grind, recall value among the casual sports observers only remains for the high-stakes one-off contests at the Grand in a couple of epics, and you have got a legacy to boot. Sunday's Wimbledon final had all the makings of the start of a new era of tennis. And by the time Jannik Sinner had defeated Carlos Alcaraz in four streaky yet absorbing sets as twilight fell on Centre Court, it also felt like watching the sport's newest duopoly crystallising. It did not have the same tension and shotmaking prowess on display as their five-set barn burner at the French Open last month, but its result was even more crucial in the establishment of Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 22, as the leaders of the sport's newest generation. Merely meeting on the big stage is not enough for a rivalry to burgeon; it requires equilibrium in the contests, too, which had been lost between these two in the recent past. Alcaraz had won five consecutive matches against Sinner, and last month, had delivered a decisive psychological blow to the Italian after saving three championship points and coming back from two sets down to win at Roland Garros. The two are a clash in contrasting approaches. Sinner is methodical, disciplined and steady under pressure, while Alcaraz is much more up and down, but his variety, spontaneity and sparkle make his highs higher than anyone else on the tour. The two were considered prodigies at a young age, but both were never bogged down by expectations and have now separated themselves from the competition. Both are confident players who have proved to have all-surface expertise. Alcaraz, who was a major winner and World No 1 as a teenager, has always had the upper hand over Sinner when it comes to his ease on the big stage and the admiration he has been able to evoke in the crowds. By winning a sixth consecutive match and beating him in a big final again, he may well have established his supremacy. But Sinner showed steel and ruthlessness to put that setback behind him and stay steady throughout the high-wire occasion, once again establishing parity in this dynamic. Both players have already played their part in much-hyped matches, which is perhaps a result of the keenness of fans to see a replication of the golden era of men's tennis that has just passed. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic won 66 Majors between them, but for a majority of those tournaments, they would battle each other in the final stages. Despite dominating Federer on clay, Nadal was unable to breach Federer's grass kingdom for much of their early rivalry, losing back-to-back finals before finally getting past him in their 2008 epic. A few years later, in 2011, Djokovic would take a similar leap to break Nadal's hegemony at the top of the game, beating him in the Wimbledon final to score his first victory over his rival at a Major. Sinner's victory has a similar look and feel. He has now reduced the deficit in his head-to-head record with Alcaraz to 5-8, and won his fourth Major. It adds much intrigue as the travelling circus of tennis heads to the hard courts at the US Open, where Sinner is the defending champion and has a chance to win his fifth major and equal Alcaraz's Grand Slam tally. Tennis would be lucky if this is the new rivalry upon which it hinges now.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store