Ruthless Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon title

Times

13-07-2025

Five weeks after the most brutal defeat of his career in an epic French Open final, Jannik Sinner has his revenge. The 23-year-old became the first Italian player to win a Wimbledon singles title after fighting back from one set down to see off his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz.
The drama did not match the 5½-hour contest we witnessed across the English Channel last month, but there was no shortage of entertainment during the three hours and four minutes of play they engaged in here. Sinner proved the more efficient over the course, prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to bury any demons that might have lingered after failing to convert three championship points against Alcaraz in Paris.
This is a remarkable turnaround for Sinner after he looked down and out this week at two sets behind against Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round. One cannot help but wonder what the outcome would have turned out to be this fortnight had the Bulgarian not suddenly torn a pectoral muscle on his serve and been forced to retire.
Sinner had his own physical issues to overcome, too, having undergone an MRI scan on his right elbow after that match, but he is so adept at maintaining his composure in the face of adversity. Whatever you feel about his drugs ban earlier this year, in which he was sidelined for three months after testing positive for a prohibited substance that was ingested through a bare-handed massage, the way he has quickly brushed it off and returned to form is quite ruthless.
This is also a significant victory for Sinner in the context of his rivalry with the 22-year-old Alcaraz. He was 8-4 down in the head-to-head record prior to this match after losing their past five encounters. Not only has he ended this bad run, he has won a fourth grand-slam title here to close the gap on Alcaraz's five.
'I had a very tough loss in Paris,' Sinner said. 'But at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you win or you lose, at important tournaments you just have to understand what you did wrong and work on that. We tried to accept the loss and keep working. For sure that is one of the reasons why I am holding this trophy. Having this means a lot.'
As is happening across the tour, Wimbledon was shifting further into a new generation with this match. This was the first final here without one of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray since 2002, and was the youngest in combined age since 2006 when a 24-year-old Federer beat a 20-year-old Nadal.
Sinner walked out onto the court with a sleeve around his right arm once again to protect the elbow he hurt during a fall in his fourth-round match six days earlier. There were no signs of any discomfort during the early stages and he made the better start with the first break of the match for 3-2.
At 4-2 to Sinner, the baseline rallies began to build in intensity and a pivotal moment in the first set followed when Alcaraz came out on top in an 18-shot rally. He let out a loud roar, which kickstarted a comeback and he soon broke back to level at 4-4.
Serving to stay in the set at 5-4 down, Sinner had lost his way under pressure and fell on the baseline after Alcaraz took him aback with a drop shot to bring up set point. While Sinner saved this, he followed it with a double fault and Alcaraz converted his second set point by chasing down a ferocious Sinner forehand down the line to respond with a stretch backhand which dropped over the net.
The momentum was with Alcaraz, but he can be prone to sudden dips and one immediately followed. He conceded the break with a poor game at the start of the second set and Sinner clearly sensed a chance to work his way back into the match, shouting 'Let's go' when he saved a break point in the next game before holding serve for 2-0.
There was a bizarre moment in Sinner's next service game at 2-1 when the cork of a champagne bottle landed on the court beside him as he stood on the baseline preparing for the next point. Thankfully this untimely interruption proved no significant distraction as he went on to hold for 3-1.
Sinner usually plays tennis with something of a stern poker face, rarely showing much emotion, but he was noticeably more energetic in his celebrations after winning points towards the end of the second set. Perhaps this was an instruction from his team to get more spectators on his side, as it is often Alcaraz who wins the popularity battle of the two.
In this regard, Sinner played the perfect game when serving for the set at 5-4, producing a scintillating display of shot-making which had much of the crowd out of their seats. The highlight was a sparking forehand cross-court winner on set point to level the match at one set apiece.
Sinner removes a stray champagne cork
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Alcaraz had now entered something of a funk and struggled to impose with his serve. He brushed off two double faults in the first game of the third set to hold serve, but was increasingly coming under pressure. At 4-4 he succumbed, slipping metres behind the baseline as Sinner converted break point for a 5-4 lead.
The frustration ramping up inside Alcaraz was evident when he could be heard on the courtside microphones shouting towards his team in Spanish: 'He is playing much better than me.' Cool as a cucumber on the opposite side of the net, Sinner got on with the task at hand and served out the set with an unreturnable serve down the middle.
Sinner was now in full control from the back of the court, outhitting Alcaraz with his power and precision. He broke once again for 2-1 in the fourth set and then edged closer to the finish with a 4-2 lead
An Alcaraz hold to remain within touching distance at 4-3 down showed that the majority of the crowd were now pulling for him in the hope of seeing a fifth and deciding set. These were challenging moments for Sinner with the screams and cheers now against him, but he held firm in the next game by saving two break points for 5-3.
Within two points of defeat at 30-30 in the next game, Alcaraz held serve and forced Sinner to see out the match at 5-4. Unlike at Roland Garros, he made no mistake this time with a comfortable hold, firing down another unreturnable serve on his second match point.
'The last game I served very well,' Sinner said. 'I had some tough moments in the game before, but in best-of-five matches every moment can change the match, so I'm very happy I held my nerve.'