Sweet revenge: Sinner downs Alcaraz to win Wimbledon
In a fine final but one that never quite hit the extraordinary heights of their Roland-Garros thriller five weeks earlier, Sinner proved too icily consistent for the erratic champion on a warm afternoon on Centre Court on Sunday, prevailing 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 to earn his fourth grand slam title.
The 23-year-old world No.1 recovered from losing the first set, which Alcaraz wrapped up with the shot of the match, to then dominate proceedings and seal victory in four minutes over three hours.
"This was only a dream, it was far away where I'm from," Sinner told the crowd after collecting the trophy from Kate, Princess of Wales. "I'm just living my dream, it's amazing."
Alcaraz had pulled off an incredible escape in Paris when he saved three championship points in a five-set, five-hour 29-minute epic, but this time Sinner was not about to let him off the hook as he constantly applied the pressure with his suffocatingly accurate and powerful groundstrokes.
It was his first victory over Alcaraz in his last six attempts as he handed the 22-year-old Spaniard his first defeat in a grand slam final.
Alcaraz had been on a career-best 24-match unbeaten run, and had won 20 matches in a row at the All England Club, including victories against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals, yet he couldn't join the elite group to have won three in a row.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
The ‘Sincaraz' era is here: Sinner gets revenge for Paris with Wimbledon win
Loading The sport's powerbrokers could not have dreamed of the 'Sincaraz' emergence when they began imagining tour life after the magic carpet ride they went on with Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz believes the rivalry is producing tennis no one else is capable of – and warns it will only get better. 'I'm really happy about having this rivalry with him. I think it's great for us, and it is great for tennis,' Alcaraz said. 'Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high. I think we don't watch a level like this [anywhere else], if I'm honest with you. I don't see any player playing against each other, having the level that we are playing when we face each other. 'We're building a really great rivalry because we're playing the final of a grand slam, of Masters, the best tournaments in the world. It's going to be better and better. 'The level that I have to maintain, and I have to raise, if I want to beat Jannik is really high, so I'm really grateful.' Sinner and Alcaraz, as a rivalry, are on the way to becoming everything Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray were, along with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, and any combination of John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors. Alcaraz had beaten his Italian opponent five times in a row before the Wimbledon final – four of which went the distance – so Sinner's victory in London was significant. 'It is important because when you lose several times against someone, it's not easy,' Sinner said. Loading 'But at the same time, in the past, I felt that I was very close. If you watch all the match-ups, I'm starting Beijing, [and it was] 7-6 in the third. Then Rome, I had a set point in the first set – I couldn't use it. Then, in Paris, happened what happened. 'I keep looking up to Carlos because, even today, I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did … [and] 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. Then, we see what's happening in the future.' Sinner's Australian co-coach, Darren Cahill, also does not believe it will be a 'two-man show' for the next decade, but there is a widening chasm between them and the rest for now. 'The rivalry, I think, is amazing already, and I think it can get better with both these players pushing each other … [but] it's difficult to compare this rivalry to what we've just had,' he said. 'It's been a golden age in tennis with Novak, Roger, Rafa and Andy. They dominated for 20 years … these guys still have a ways to go, but they've started incredibly well. I have fingers crossed that they're going to have a great 10 or 15 years to go, and they'll have some more amazing matches.' Sinner and Alcaraz won the last seven major titles combined, starting with last year's Australian Open. Alcaraz also claimed the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon championships, and there have been only three Djokovic interventions in that time. Australia's Rinky Hijikata has not played against either of them, but watched in awe as they slugged it out at Roland-Garros. 'The French Open was one of the best matches I've ever seen. I thought the level was a joke,' Hijikata said. 'Sometimes, you were watching, and you didn't feel like they were playing the same sport as you. The rivalry that they have is great for the sport, and [they are] two unbelievably, genuinely good guys also, so I'm pumped for both of them.' The 'Sincaraz' rivalry 2021: Paris Masters, round of 32, Alcaraz d Sinner, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 2022: Wimbledon, round of 16, Sinner d Alcaraz, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 6-3 Umag, final, Sinner d Alcaraz, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-1 US Open, quarter-final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-7 (0-7), 7-5, 6-3 2023: Indian Wells Masters, semi-final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 Miami Masters, semi-final, Sinner d Alcaraz, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2 Beijing, semi-final, Sinner d Alcaraz, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 2024: Indian Wells Masters, semi-final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 Roland-Garros, semi-final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 Beijing, final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) 2025: Rome Masters, final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 Roland-Garros, final, Alcaraz d Sinner, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) Wimbledon, final, Sinner d Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Total: Alcaraz leads 8-5 The decisive moment Sinner, who was banned for three months earlier this year after coming to an agreement with WADA over an anti-doping rule breach, enjoyed good fortune to make it this far. He trailed Grigor Dimitrov by two sets in the fourth round at the start of the week, before the Bulgarian retired with a right pectoral muscle injury that has since required surgery. A four-point sequence from double-break-point down while serving for a 5-3 lead in the fourth set proved the decisive moment for Sinner as he avoided the cruel fate that befell him on the brink of victory in France. He landed only one first serve in that stretch, but played courageously – and was rewarded. Sinner was two sets from the title in the next game on Alcaraz's serve, but the script demanded that the Italian close it out himself, to banish the demons from five weeks ago. Sinner did not flinch, starting with outlasting Alcaraz in a baseline exchange on the first point. He raced to triple championship point, and fired down a 220km/h serve – his fastest of the day – on the second of them that Alcaraz could not return. A huge smile instantly broke out on Sinner's face, with arms aloft, before he met Alcaraz for a wholesome exchange at the net, as the latest – but certainly not the last – chapter in their captivating rivalry concluded. 'It's always a bad feeling losing matches. I think it's a little bit even worse when you lose in a final,' Alcaraz said. 'I'm just really proud about everything I've done; the last four weeks on grass here in London. I leave Wimbledon with the head really high because I did everything that I could today. I just played against someone who played an unbelievable game.' In a match with little between the combatants, Alcaraz bemoaned his first-serve percentage of 53, compared to Sinner's 62, which was costly when coupled with seven double faults despite him adding 15 aces. Living up to the hype The second grand slam final between the ATP Tour's new superstars was hugely anticipated, so much so that the queue to occupy a patch of grass on Henman Hill – or Murray Mound, whatever tickles your fancy – was hundreds of metres long. Even Prince William made the trek to Wimbledon, joining the Princess of Wales, who backed up from the women's final, while the Hewitts – Lleyton and Bec – were one row back in the royal box with Andre Agassi. King Felipe of Spain jumped on a plane to be there, too. Alcaraz ended his post-match speech by saying how honoured he was that the king came to watch him. Loading Sinner doubted after his straight-sets semi-final win over seven-time champion Djokovic two days ago whether he and Alcaraz could live up to their Roland-Garros thriller. But these two prizefighters don't know how to do routine, at least when they are on opposite ends of a baseline. The theory in tennis circles was that Sinner needed this one, since Alcaraz had won all five of their on-court stoushes since the start of last year. They were all close, but the Spaniard kept winning them. Until now.
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
Prince George is 'all right' at tennis
Prince George is 'all right' at tennis. The 11-year-old royal joined his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and nine-year-old sister Princess Charlotte at the Wimbledon men's final on Sunday (13.07.25) afternoon and ahead of the game between defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and eventual winner Jannik Sinner, the family were introduced to Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who had become the first all-British duo to win the Wimbledon doubles tournament the day before. Catherine, Princess of Wales - who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club - congratulated the pair on their victory and noted the heat they had played through on Saturday (12.07.25). Julian told her the match was good but "stressful", and then in a discussion about George playing tennis, the 28-year-old sportsman asked the young prince about his ability on court. According to the Daily Telegraph, George appeared to shrug and replied: 'I'm all right.' George appears to be keen on several sports, as his father, Prince William, revealed last October he had taken up scuba diving. Speaking during a public engagement where he met with Olympic swimmers Adam Peaty and Tom Dean, he said: "George loves scuba diving. He's 11 years old. We took him under thinking he would freak out. He absolutely loves it. It's just introducing him to the world of water." And the previous year, William - who also has five-year-old Prince Louis with his wife - told how George had been training for a triathlon, which involves running, swimming and cycling. The prince had been speaking to told Non Stanford - who took the women's world triathlon title in 2016 and came fourth at the 2016 Olympics - about his son's training as he presented her with her MBC for contributions to the event. Non told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "He was telling me how George has been doing triathlon at school. "There is also a gentleman who now works for William, has done a bit of triathlon and has been giving George advice about putting talcum powder in his shoes [to reduce rubbing]. "George has been sharing his talc with his classmates and they are all excited about these tips. "[William] also asked about the future of triathlon and the talent that is coming through, so we had a very nice chat." George has frequently been seen with his father watching their beloved Aston Villa play, and his uncle Mike Tindall recently told how the prince is "passionate" about soccer. He told the Telegraph magazine: "George loves his football. I've played numerous times in the garden with him. "He's passionate about Aston Villa, too. Wherever he is, he'll sit down and watch that game. "They're just a family who love sport. Catherine loves her running."
Sky News AU
12 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Aussie tennis star Jelena Dokic's 'very special person' revealed as Melbourne hospitality worker Yane Veselinov
Jelena Dokic has officially gone public with new boyfriend Yane Veselinov after months of speculation about the mystery man. Dokic, 42, took to Instagram on Monday to reveal the identity of her new beau months after published bombshell footage of the pair getting cosy at Melbourne Airport. "You are my calm, safe, peaceful and happy place. So glad I found you," Dokic wrote alongside a romantic snap with her new partner. It can now be revealed that the new love in Jelena's life is a hospitality operations manager who describes himself on Instagram as a "food and wine enthusiast, pleasure seeker and life enjoyer". Dokic stoked speculation about her love life on Sunday after sharing a glimpse of a night out with a mystery date two years on from her shock split from Brazilian-born Tin Bukic. The Aussie tennis great has just wrapped up commentary duties covering the iconic Wimbledon tennis tournament, the same event where she reached the semifinal in 2000 at just 16 years old. This year's tournament saw Poland's Iga Swiatek thrash American Amanda Anisimova in the women's final, while Italy's Jannik Sinner defeated Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set thriller in the men's tournament. On Sunday, Dokic marked the end of Wimbledon fever by sharing a photo of a cocktail in a ritzy restaurant via her Instagram. 'A little mid Wimbledon drink with a very special person,' the retired tennis great wrote in the caption. The former World No. 4 did not reveal the identity of the 'special person' but her loyal fans flooded the comment section asking if Dokic was back on the dating scene. 'Is this what I think it is! So happy to hear this gorgeous Jelena,' one fan wrote. 'Enjoy your time with someone special.' 'Like the sound of a special person Jelena, enjoy your time together,' a second follower wrote. Dokic split from her previous partner, Bukic, in late 2022 after an almost two-decade-long relationship. She recently opened up on the Mental As Anyone podcast about how the demise of her relationship jeopardised her plans to start a family. 'I was in a relationship for almost 19 years from the age of 20, and right when we split up, we were about to start trying for a family,' Jelena said. 'I actually think I would be a good mum, to be honest; I love kids.' Dokic revealed she was now planning to start a family as a 'single parent' and was open to exploring adoption. 'It is something I would like to do because I love kids,' she said. 'I didn't have the best experience (but) if I was, let's say, a single mum and adopted one day, it would have all the love in the world.'
