Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry ‘a gift to tennis’

Sinner and Alcaraz have now won the past seven Grand Slam titles

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, who was bidding to become only the fifth man in the professional era to win three successive Wimbledon titles under the watchful eye of Spain’s King Felipe in the Royal Box, 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 either. 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.

The first person Sinner thanked in his speech after winning Wimbledon was Alcaraz.

Speaking after the latest instalment of their captivating rivalry, Sinner said: “Carlos, thank you for the player you are.

“It is so difficult to play you but we have a great relationship off the court.

“Keep going, keep pushing, you are going to hold this trophy many times - you already have twice!”
A packed Centre Court crowd were almost willing Alcaraz to find a way to force a deciding fifth set and keep an absorbing contest going.

But world number one Sinner powered to the finish line to end Alcaraz’s title defence.

It was their first meeting in a Wimbledon final. It is unlikely to be their last.

Sinner is the first player to beat Alcaraz in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz was the first to beat Sinner.
The pair have now won the past seven Grand Slam titles, with Sinner taking four.

They met for the first time in a major final at last month’s French Open, with Alcaraz recovering from two sets and three championship points down to win an epic, before Sinner took this year’s Wimbledon title.

They are the first pair to contest the French Open and Wimbledon finals in the same year since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in 2008.

There is little that separates the two in terms of the numbers.

Sinner has won 20 titles to Alcaraz’s 21. The Spaniard also has the edge in Grand Slams, with five to Sinner’s four.

Alcaraz still leads the head-to-head 8-5 - but Sinner has now snapped a five-match losing streak against the world number two. The Italian has also halted Alcaraz’s winning run at 24 matches.

(Agencies)