Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win men’s final

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The sport’s powerbrokers could not have dreamed of the “Sincaraz” emergence when they began imagining tour life after the magic carpet ride they went on with Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz believes the rivalry is producing tennis no one else is capable of – and warns it will only get better.

“I’m really happy about having this rivalry with him. I think it’s great for us, and it is great for tennis,” Alcaraz said.

“Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high. I think we don’t watch a level like this [anywhere else], if I’m honest with you. I don’t see any player playing against each other, having the level that we are playing when we face each other.

“We’re building a really great rivalry because we’re playing the final of a grand slam, of Masters, the best tournaments in the world. It’s going to be better and better.

“The level that I have to maintain, and I have to raise, if I want to beat Jannik is really high, so I’m really grateful.”

Sinner and Alcaraz, as a rivalry, are on the way to becoming everything Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray were, along with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, and any combination of John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors.

Alcaraz had beaten his Italian opponent five times in a row before the Wimbledon final – four of which went the distance – so Sinner’s victory in London was significant.

“It is important because when you lose several times against someone, it’s not easy,” Sinner said.

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“But at the same time, in the past, I felt that I was very close. If you watch all the match-ups, I’m starting Beijing, [and it was] 7-6 in the third. Then Rome, I had a set point in the first set – I couldn’t use it. Then, in Paris, happened what happened.

“I keep looking up to Carlos because, even today, I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did … [and] he’s going to come for us again. There is not only Carlos, but everyone.

“We have a big target on us, so we have to be prepared. Then, we see what’s happening in the future.”

Sinner’s Australian co-coach, Darren Cahill, also does not believe it will be a “two-man show” for the next decade, but there is a widening chasm between them and the rest for now.

“The rivalry, I think, is amazing already, and I think it can get better with both these players pushing each other … [but] it’s difficult to compare this rivalry to what we’ve just had,” he said.

“It’s been a golden age in tennis with Novak, Roger, Rafa and Andy. They dominated for 20 years … these guys still have a ways to go, but they’ve started incredibly well. I have fingers crossed that they’re going to have a great 10 or 15 years to go, and they’ll have some more amazing matches.”

Sinner and Alcaraz won the last seven major titles combined, starting with last year’s Australian Open. Alcaraz also claimed the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon championships, and there have been only three Djokovic interventions in that time.

Australia’s Rinky Hijikata has not played against either of them, but watched in awe as they slugged it out at Roland-Garros.

“The French Open was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen. I thought the level was a joke,” Hijikata said.

“Sometimes, you were watching, and you didn’t feel like they were playing the same sport as you. The rivalry that they have is great for the sport, and [they are] two unbelievably, genuinely good guys also, so I’m pumped for both of them.”

The decisive moment

Sinner, who was banned for three months earlier this year after coming to an agreement with WADA over an anti-doping rule breach, enjoyed good fortune to make it this far, given he trailed Grigor Dimitrov by two sets in the fourth round at the start of the week, before the Bulgarian retired with a right pectoral muscle injury that has since required surgery.

A four-point sequence from double-break-point down while serving for a 5-3 lead in the fourth set proved the decisive moment for Sinner as he avoided the cruel fate that befell him on the brink of victory in France.

He landed only one first serve in that stretch, but played courageously – and was rewarded.

Sinner was two sets from the title in the next game on Alcaraz’s serve, but the script demanded that the Italian close it out himself, to banish the demons from five weeks ago.

Sinner did not flinch, starting with outlasting Alcaraz in a baseline exchange on the first point. He raced to triple championship point, and fired down a 220km/h serve – his fastest of the day – on the second of them that Alcaraz could not return.

A huge smile instantly broke out on Sinner’s face, with arms aloft, before he met Alcaraz for a wholesome exchange at the net, as the latest – but certainly not the last – chapter in their captivating rivalry concluded.

“It’s always a bad feeling losing matches. I think it’s a little bit even worse when you lose in a final,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just really proud about everything I’ve done; the last four weeks on grass here in London. I leave Wimbledon with the head really high because I did everything that I could today. I just played against someone who played an unbelievable game.”

In a match with little between the combatants, Alcaraz bemoaned his first-serve percentage of 53, compared to Sinner’s 62, which was costly when coupled with seven double faults despite him adding 15 aces.

Living up to the hype

The second grand slam final between the ATP Tour’s new superstars was hugely anticipated, so much so that the queue to occupy a patch of grass on Henman Hill – or Murray Mound, whatever tickles your fancy – was hundreds of metres long.

Even Prince William made the trek to Wimbledon, joining the Princess of Wales, who backed up from the women’s final, while the Hewitts – Lleyton and Bec – were one row back in the royal box with Andre Agassi. King Felipe of Spain jumped on a plane to be there, too.

Alcaraz ended his post-match speech by saying how honoured he was that the king came to watch him.

Sinner doubted after his straight-sets semi-final win over seven-time champion Djokovic two days ago whether he and Alcaraz could live up to their Roland-Garros thriller.

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But these two prizefighters don’t know how to do routine, at least when they are on opposite ends of a baseline.

The theory in tennis circles was that Sinner needed this one, since Alcaraz had won all five of their on-court stoushes since the start of last year. They were all close, but the Spaniard kept winning them. Until now.

Marc McGowan travelled to Wimbledon with the assistance of Tennis Australia.