Jannik Sinner Dethrones Two-Time Champion Carlos Alcaraz to Win 1st Wimbledon Title

Until Sunday’s Wimbledon final, Jannik Sinner had won all three of his major singles titles on hardcourts.

The 23-year-old Italian had never captured a major title on grass or clay.

And the world No. 1 had lost five straight matches to his top rival – Carlos Alcaraz – including an epic match last month in the Roland Garros final where Sinner held triple-match point on Alcaraz’s serve.

But all of that changed when Sinner put on a master class to defeat Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to win his maiden Wimbledon crown and his fourth major singles title. The victory snapped a five-match losing streak against Alcaraz.

Sinner closed out the match with a service winner and will take home about $4.1 million with the title, while Alcaraz received about $2 million.

It marked a bit of sweet revenge for last month’s Roland Garros final, where Sinner had three match points on Alcaraz before the Spaniard stormed back to win in five sets in an all-time classic. That came after Sinner served a three-month suspension for a banned substance.

“Thank you for the player you are,” Sinner told Alcaraz on court. “Keep going. Keep pushing. You’re gonna hold this many times.. you already have two.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have now combined to win the last seven straight major titles. Alcaraz leads Sinner 8-5 in their head-to-head.

“I have to congratulate Jannik once again,” Alcaraz said on court. “Really happy to build a really good relationship off the court and great rivalry on court that makes me improve every day.”

Sunday’s match did not provide the same level of drama as the Paris final, but Sinner will take it.

Sinner improved to 27-1 in the last four majors, having won the U.S. Open last summer and the Australian Open in January.

Sinner is one of only six men in the Open Era to reach four straight major finals.

He was nearly eliminated in the fourth round when he trailed Grigor Dimitrov two-sets-to-love before the Bulgarian retired suddenly with a torn pectoral muscle.

Sinner fell in that match and injured his right elbow but showed no ill effects in dispatching Ben Shelton and then 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets in his next two rounds.

Alcaraz entered the match on a 20-match winning streak at Wimbledon and a 24-match winning streak overall.

He looked relaxed entering the final.

Alcaraz was out on Court 14 before the match kicking balls, signing autographs and posing for selfies with fans. Sinner was shown serving on a remote court with no fanfare.

In the first set, Sinner broke Alcaraz for a 3-2 lead, but the Spaniard broke back for 4-all when Sinner netted a backhand.

With Sinner serving at 4-5, ad-out Alcaraz hit a backhand winner off a massive Sinner forehand to take the first set.

In the second set, Sinner broke for 1-0 when Alcaraz sailed a forehand long. He used his backhand more aggressively in the set and closed it out with a crosscourt forehand winner to even things up.

Alcaraz looked to his box several times, as if to say he was being outplayed from the baseline.

In the third set, Sinner broke for 5-4 when he drove Alcaraz deep into the corner with a crosscourt forehand and then put away the wide-open backhand volley as Alcaraz slipped on the grass.

Sinner then held easily to take a two-sets-to-one lead.

Sinner broke for a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a backhand return winner up the line.

With Sinner serving at 4-3 in the fourth, Alcaraz had two break points but he let Sinner off the hook and the Italian held for 5-3.

With this one in the books, the U.S. Open and its fans can hope for another chapter in this rivalry in a couple of months.