Jannik Sinner addressed redemption arc vs. Carlos Alcaraz after Wimbledon win
Jannik Sinner didn't become the No. 1-ranked men's tennis player in the world by accident.
The Italian superstar has been on a tear over the last calendar year, as he's steadily demonstrated why he'll be one of the biggest names in tennis for a long time. But try as he might lately, Sinner couldn't overcome his rival, the creative Carlos Alcaraz. In fact, entering Sunday's men's Wimbledon final, Alcaraz had beaten Sinner in five straight meetings, including the epic finale to the 2025 French Open. There, Sinner notably had Alcaraz on the ropes but, in gutwrenching fashion, couldn't close the deal.
It would've been easy for Sinner to dwell on his failure against his top competitor at Wimbledon. He's only human, after all. And humans tend to overthink at the worst possible times. Instead, he showcased his steely resolve to finally overcome Alcaraz en route to capturing his first-ever slam title at Centre Court.
In his victory speech, Sinner addressed his redemption arc against Alcaraz. He mentioned how emotionally tough it was to go all the way at Wimbledon after his rival handed him the most devastating loss of his young career only a month earlier. Lesser competitors may have let Alcaraz get in their heads again.
But not Sinner.
It seems it was the exact learning experience he needed to beat Alcaraz in another huge spot:
It's evergreen and it's cliche, but this is what high-level sports are all about. We're watching human beings like us, who happen to be elite athletes, get up off the mat all the time. They're teaching us life lessons in the low-stakes environment of sports. Championship stories like Sinner's at Wimbledon just wouldn't be as sweet if there wasn't the backstory of his history with Alcaraz.
And the best part? As Alcaraz himself joked, we're likely going to see these two on this kind of stage, Wimbledon and otherwise, again very soon:
Carlos Alcaraz after losing to Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon final"I just feel at home here every time I come here. I love playing here. I love playing in front of all of you. I just have to say thank you. I'm gonna be back for sure." ❤️pic.twitter.com/sannwHDP6F
It's a good thing that both young men know how to recover from mistakes and failure with the best of them. What a treat for all of us who get to watch them square off.
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Wimbledon men's final: Jannik Sinner overpowers Carlos Alcaraz in four sets
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner denied No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz a three-peat at Wimbledon, winning the latest edition of tennis' best rivalry in four sets – and avenging his loss to Alcaraz at the French Open. After dropping the opening set, Sinner took control of the match behind his overpowering serve to win his fourth career Grand Slam title, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Two-time defending champion Alcaraz of Spain was no match for the Italian's serve, which only seemed to get better as the match progressed. In the end, Sinner was able to prevent the kind of comeback Alcaraz staged at the French. "I had a very tough loss in Paris, but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter how you win or you lose the important tournaments, you have to understand what you did wrong, try to work on that. That's exactly what we did," Sinner said after the match. "We tried to accept the loss and just kept working and this is for sure one of the reasons why I hold this trophy right here." For Sinner, it was his first Wimbledon title and his first Grand Slam victory on anything other than a hard court – after he won the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open and 2024 U.S. Open. He becomes the first Italian to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon. "We would never have thought we would be in this position back in the days when I was young," Sinner said he discussed with his coaches before the match. "This was only a dream of the dream because it was so far away where I'm from. "I'm just living my dream, so it's amazing." Look back as USA TODAY followed all the action from Centre Court. Live score: Men's Wimbledon final Sinner finishes off Alcaraz in four sets A brilliant backhand service return down the line gave Sinner an early service break in the fourth set at 2-1. And he never let Alcaraz have an opening to break back. The two-time defending champion tried to rally the Centre Court crowd behind him, but each time Sinner was able to combat the pressure. Sinner was able to keep his foot on the accelerator throughout the final set, holding serve to close out the match. His last serve came off his racket at 137 mph, his fastest of the final. Sinner gains the upper hand after winning third set Could sweet revenge be in the cards for Jannik Sinner? Looking to reverse the outcome of their classic French Open final, Sinner took the third set against Alcaraz with a powerful array of shotmaking. On his third break point of the set, Sinner came through with the winner he needed – helping him take control of the match with a two sets to one lead. With the score even at 4-all and Alcaraz serving, Sinner crushed a forehand winner to put himself in position for the break. He capitalized when Alcaraz slipped on a deep baseline return, putting away the easy backhand volley into the open court. Sinner then locked down the set with a couple powerful overhead shots and a service winner to close out the set 6-4. Sinner did not have an ace in the first two sets, but he powered in six during the third. Sinner evens the match with strong second set These two tennis titans could be headed for second consecutive instant classic in a Grand Slam final. After taking the opening set, Alcaraz couldn't keep the momentum going at the start of Set 2. Sinner bounced back to record a service break in the opening game and – unlike in the opening set – he didn't let Alcaraz come back. Showing some uncharacteristic emotion, the usually mild-mannered Sinner gestured after several key points during the set. He closed it out with some great athleticism to win the final point on a cross-court stunner. Alcaraz takes first set Carlos Alcaraz rallied from an early deficit to win the final four games and take the opening set against Jannik Sinner. After both players held serve their first two times, Sinner recorded the match's first service break in the fifth game, winning the final four points with some aggressive returns. But Alcaraz battled back to even the set at four games apiece thanks to a pair of unforced errors by Sinner on his serve. Alcaraz broke Sinner once more to take the set, as Sinner double-faulted at deuce and Alcaraz hit an amazing return that just barely cleared the net for the clinching point. Sinner, Alcaraz take the court There's a slight delay, but we're now just moments away from the start of the gentlemen's singles final at Wimbledon. Alcaraz will serve first. Matthew McConnaughey, Prince William, Princess Kate on hand Among the celebrities spotted in the crowd: Actors Keira Knightley and Matthew McConnaughey, and recording artist Seal. There's a royal presence in the audience as well. What time is the Wimbledon men's final? The 2025 Wimbledon men's final between No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner and No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled for Sunday, July 13 at 11 a.m. ET (4 p.m. in London). What TV channel is the Wimbledon men's final on? ESPN is televising the 2025 Wimbledon men's final between No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner and No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz at 11 a.m. ET, following the women's doubles final. Is there a live stream of the Wimbledon men's final? You can live stream the match between No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner and No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz on the ESPN app, Disney+, ESPN+ and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and is offering a free trial. Odds to win 2025 Wimbledon men's final Although No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz was favored to beat No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner on Friday night, according to BetMGM, the odds have flipped as the match has drawn closer. The latest odds Sunday morning now have Sinner as the favorite by a small margin. What is the weather forecast for Wimbledon men's final? The Weather Channel is forecasting mostly cloudy skies for the afternoon of Sunday, July 13, with a temperature of 81 degrees at the start of the match and winds around 5 mph out of the Southeast. Wimbledon men's final prize money The winner of the 2025 Wimbledon men's singles championship will take home $4.07 million (£3,000,000) in prize money. The runner-up earns $2,060,989 (£1,520,000). Path to the Wimbledon men's final How many Grand Slam finals has Jannik Sinner made? Wimbledon 2025 marks the fifth Grand Slam final for Sinner. He won the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open but lost in the final of the 2025 French Open to Alcaraz. How many Grand Slam finals has Carlos Alcaraz made? This is Carlos Alcaraz's sixth Grand Slam singles final. He has won his five previous major finals, capturing the 2022 US Open, the 2024 and 2025 French Open and the past two Wimbledon titles in 2023 and 2024. Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner: Head-to-Head Wimbledon 2025 marks the 13th meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz has dominated the rivalry, winning eight of the 12 previous contests, including the past five. Their most recent meeting was a five-set thriller in the final of the French Open last month, when Alcaraz rallied from two sets down to win Roland Garros crown. The duo has met four times total in Grand Slam tournaments. In addition to the 2025 French Open, Alcaraz beat Sinner in the semfinals at Roland Garros in 2024 and the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open. Sinner won their first Grand Slam meeting in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2022. — Ellen J. Horrow Carlos Alcaraz's career record, prize money Carlos Alcaraz has won 21 ATP Tour singles titles since turning pro in 2018. He has a career record of 251 wins and 61 losses and has amassed $45,277,264 in career prize money (singles and doubles combined) prior to Wimbledon 2025. Jannik Sinner's career record, prize money Jannik Sinner has won 19 ATP Tour singles titles since turning pro in 2018. He has a career record of 282 wins and 83 losses and has amassed $41,566,997 in career prize money (singles and doubles combined) prior to Wimbledon 2025. Who has the most Wimbledon men's singles titles? Roger Federer has the record for most men's singles titles in the history of the event, winning all of his championships in the Open Era (since 1968). He won the Wimbledon championship eight times during his storied career, with his first victory coming in 2003 and last in 2017. That included a run of five consecutive titles at the tournament from 2003-07. — Jacob Camenker A total of 9 men have won Wimbledon at least four times. Most titles (*-amateur era; ^-amateur and Open era): What surface is Wimbledon played on? Wimbledon is the only one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments played on grass. The Australian and U.S. Open are played on hard court and the French Open is played on red clay. Wimbledon generally produces faster tennis and more volleys than the other majors, and balls do not bounce nearly as high. The surface can also be slippery at times, especially compared to hardcourts. "You have to be more focused on the footwork here," Carlos Alcaraz told The Athletic after winning his second Wimbledon men's singles championship in 2024. "Moving on grass is the key to everything on grass. I can't slide as I do on clay or on a hard court." — John Leuzzi Where is Wimbledon held? The 138th edition of the Wimbledon Championships is being held at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club on Church Road in London. It is the 103rd time that the Grand Slam event has been held on Church Road, a streak that dates back to 1922. The Grand Slam event hasn't always been held at the All England Club on Church Road, however. From 1877 through 1921, the Wimbledon Championships were held at the former All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club location on Worple Road in London. — John Leuzzi The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Nick Kyrgios posts cryptic message after Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon championship
Nick Kyrgios isn't too fired up about Jannik Sinner's Wimbledon title. Following Sinner's, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, win Sunday over Carlos Alcaraz in the final, Kyrgios took to X with a cryptic, one-character message about the victory by the world's top-ranked player: an asterisk. Advertisement Kyrgios is likely referencing the fact that Sinner was previously suspended for doping, using his asterisk message as a way to discredit the win. Sinner, the No. 1 men's singles player, tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, twice in 2024. 4 Nick Kyrgios last competed in March at the Miami Open, where he bowed out in the round of 64. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Advertisement The Italian wound up serving a three-month suspension from February to early May this year in a settlement with the World Doping Agency. Kyrgios and Sinner have some history that goes beyond the two competing on the court. 4 Jannik Sinner hoists the Wimbledon trophy. AP Sinner used to have a relationship with Anna Kalinskaya, Kyrgios' ex. Advertisement Responding to a photo of Kalinskaya and Sinner in 2024, Kyrgios wrote, 'second serve,' implying that he was Kalinskaya's stronger, 'first serve,' while Sinner was the weaker option — her 'second serve.' Kyrgios was also calling for a two-year suspension for Sinner after his doping tests. 4 Kyrgios watches Wimbledon from the stands. AP Clearly, there's some animosity there — at least on one side of the equation. Advertisement Head to head, Sinner won in 2022 against Kyrgios in the pair's lone contest against one another. The 30-year-old Kyrgios has never won a Grand Slam title, and has battled injury since the end of 2022. He's posted a 1-4 record in 2025, didn't compete in 2024 and lost his only match in 2023. 4 Sinner took down Alcaraz in four sets in the Wimbledon final on Sunday. REUTERS As for Sinner, he is up to four Grand Slam titles following his Wimbledon victory. His Wimbledon win over Alcaraz was a triumphant one, as he suffered a wild collapse in the French Open final against Alcaraz a month ago, but managed to get the job done this time around for his first Wimbledon championship.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Scuffle breaks out at end of Club World Cup final as Luis Enrique, Donnarumma confront João Pedro
EAST RUTHERFORD, N,J. (AP) — A scuffle broke out after the end of the Club World Cup final on Sunday with Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma appearing to push Chelsea forward João Pedro. Chelsea upset PSG 3-0 to win the title, scoring three first-half goals in a match that turned testy with a red card to PSG's João Neves for pulling down Marc Cucurella by his hair, along with six yellow cards. Enrique was on the field near the center circle and appeared to push João Pedro on the throat. Donnarumma pushed the 23-year-old forward, who fell over. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca moved away Donnarumma, a fellow Italian. "There is a lot of tension, and a lot of pressure. ... There was a whole bunch of pushing going on," Enrique said through a translator. Enrique said he was trying to separate the players. 'This was just the end result of the pressure from the match, and I do not have anything else to add,' he said. PSG defender Achraf Hakimi had been gesturing at João Pedro and Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos. ___
