In retaliation for his heartbreaking failure in the French Open final last month, Italy’s world number one Jannik Sinner upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Wimbledon men’s title.
At the age of 23, Sinner has already won four Grand Slam championships and is the first Italian to triumph at the All England Club. The competition and camaraderie that have emerged since the time of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, known as the “Big Three,” have been closely followed by the tennis community.
The last seven Grand Slam victories have been split between Sinner and Alcaraz, the two-time defending Wimbledon winner, with the Italian taking home four of them.
After leading by two sets and then wasting three match points in the final, Sinner’s loss in Paris last month was especially difficult.
He had lost five straight games to Alcaraz prior to Sunday’s triumph, including the Italian Open final, his first competition following his comeback from a drug sentence.
But this time, he accomplished a remarkable 180-degree turn. Before Alcaraz’s forehand long in the fifth game gave Sinner his first break, both players served forcefully.
The Centre Court crowd, which included Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, cheered as the Spaniard tied the score at 4–4.
After that, Sinner double-failed, giving Alcaraz another set point. Alcaraz answered with a spectacular backhand winner, putting a finger to his ear and igniting the crowd’s cheers as Sinner hit a strong forehand down the line.
