3 days ago
Wimbledon: Champagne cork interrupts Jannik Sinner's serve during men's final victory over Carlos Alcaraz
Only at Wimbledon.
A Champagne cork from the stands landed on the court Sunday and interrupted the men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Janik Sinner. Seriously.
The disturbance took place in the second set as Sinner prepared to serve. An audible pop was heard on the broadcast that didn't sound dissimilar to a ball being hit. But it wasn't.
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Sinner backed away from his serve, and Alcaraz raised both of his hands in the air, understandably perturbed by the fan interference in a Grand Slam final.
The chair umpire pointed in the direction of the offending fan.
"Please don't pop Champagne corks just as the players are about to serve," she said. "Thank you."
It was a reasonable request.
Low laughter from the stands transitioned into boos. An ESPN camera then pointed to a ball girl who had rushed to remove the foreign object from the court. The cork had landed near Sinner, who had picked it up and tossed it away.
This isn't the first time a Champagne pop has interrupted action at the All-England Club. Women's finalist Amanda Anisimova called a fan out for a Champagne pop during a match in the early rounds.
'Why are you opening it right now?' she understandably inquired.
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In 2021, a Champagne cork made its way on to the court during a match between Coco Gauff and Elena Vesnina.
Fortunately for Sinner, the interference on his serve didn't impact his play. After dropping the first set, Sinner went on to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory to claim his first Wimbledon title and his fourth Grand Slam championship.
