Jannik Sinner beats 2-time
defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Wimbledon title
[July 14, 2025]
By HOWARD FENDRICH
LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner insisted early on at Wimbledon that he
put an excruciating loss to Carlos Alcaraz in their epic French Open
final behind him. Sinner was sure that one defeat wouldn’t haunt
him, wouldn’t prevent a quick recalibration and certainly wouldn’t
mean a thing at the All England Club.
Sure was right about all of that.
Exactly five weeks after the devastating defeat at Roland-Garros
against his rival, Sinner reversed the result, beating two-time
defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to
win his first championship at the grass-court major.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you win or you
lose the important tournaments. You just have to understand what you
did wrong. Trying to work on that — that’s exactly what we did. We
tried to accept the loss and then just kept working,” Sinner said
Sunday, his shiny gold hardware in his hands. “And this is, for
sure, why I’m holding this trophy here.”
The No. 1-ranked Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title overall,
moving him one away from No. 2 Alcaraz’s total as the two
no-longer-rising-but-firmly-established stars of the game separate
themselves from the rest of the pack in men’s tennis.
Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, put an end to several streaks for
Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard, who had been 5-0 in Grand Slam
finals.
Alcaraz had won their last five matches, most famously across five
sets and nearly 5 1/2 hours on the red clay of the French Open on
June 8. Sinner took a two-set lead, then held a trio of match
points, but couldn’t close the deal.
“Today was important not just because it was a Grand Slam final, not
just because it was Wimbledon, and not just because Carlos had won
the last five matches against him,” said Darren Cahill, one of
Sinner's two coaches, who had planned to leave the team at the end
of 2025 but now might stick around. “He needed that win today. So he
knew the importance of closing this one out when he had the
opportunities.”
Asked during Week 1 at Wimbledon whether what happened in Paris
created lingering doubts, Sinner immediately replied: “Why negative
feelings? Because I lost in (that) final?”
Then he continued: “No. Look, it’s a new tournament, new Grand Slam,
new surface. I’m not concerned about my level I can play. ... I’m
not concerned that one loss can influence you for so long a time. I
believe that here is a new chance that I can do something good.”
Great, even.
This time, he didn't waver, asserting himself in a match that
featured moments of terrific play by both men, but also the
occasional lapses — and one memorable, brief, interruption right
before a Sinner serve when a Champagne cork came flying out of the
stands and settled on the turf.
With Prince William and Princess Kate in the Royal Box, along with
King Felipe VI of Spain, Alcaraz stepped into the sunlight bathing
Centre Court with a career-best 24-match unbeaten run. He had won 20
matches in a row at the All England Club.
“It’s difficult to lose,” Alcaraz said. “It’s always difficult to
lose.”
The last man to beat him at Wimbledon? Sinner, in the fourth round
in 2022.
[to top of second column] |
Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates after winning the men's singles
final match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Wimbledon Tennis
Championships in London, Sunday, July 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty
Wigglesworth)
So this served as a bookend win for Sinner, who
would be forgiven for at least thinking a bit about his collapse in
their last match — especially when facing two break points while
serving at 4-3, 15-40 in the fourth set Sunday.
But he calmly took the next four points to take that game, then soon
was serving out the win after a chorus of “Car-los! Car-los!” rang
out from spectators.
“The things that went his way in Paris," Sinner said, “went my way
this time.”
When it ended, he put both hands on his white hat. After embracing
Alcaraz, Sinner crouched with his head bowed, then pounded his right
palm on the grass.
He has participated in four consecutive major finals, including
triumphs at the U.S. Open — shortly after the world learned about a
doping case that eventually led to a three-month ban — and the
Australian Open.
Wearing the same tape job and white arm sleeve to protect his right
elbow that he has been using since falling in the fourth round,
Sinner never showed any issues, just as he hadn't while eliminating
Novak Djokovic on Friday.
In the final, Sinner and Alcaraz produced scintillating points, with
few, if any, half-measures. They sprinted at top speed and swung
away with full force, rarely bending to the other's will.
From 4-2 down, Alcaraz took four games in a row. That spurt included
a 140 mph ace that sprayed the air with a cloud of white chalk dust
and a set-capping, flick-of-a-backhand winner at an impossible angle
after barely getting his racket on the ball.
As fans rose and roared, Alcaraz pointed to his ear and spun around,
then pumped his right fist overhead.
Sinner was undaunted, quickly breaking to lead the second set. He
returned exceptionally, even as Alcaraz served aggressively, which
did lead to 15 aces — but also to a 53% first-serve percentage and
seven double-faults.
Much like at the French Open, there was often an unrelenting
intensity to these three-plus hours, and any slight misstep created
problems. It was Alcaraz who had more of those, although Sinner
might have had the most memorable, blowing an overhead right after
coming up with a behind-the-back, through-the-legs half-volley in
the third set.
In all, these guys showed why they combined to win the past seven
Grand Slam trophies, and nine of the last 12.
Fittingly, this marked the first time the same two men faced off in
the title matches at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year
since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did it in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
It hadn't happened for more than a half-century before that trilogy.
“I'm just really, really happy about having this rivalry with him,”
Alcaraz said about Sinner. “It's great for us, and it is great for
tennis.”
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