Jannik Sinner has blown the minds of many, but among tennis legends, Chris Evert has always been a fan! She once called him “tougher” mentally than his Spanish rival, Carlos Alcaraz—whom he just defeated in a thrilling Wimbledon final on Sunday. Not only did Sinner clinch his first title at SW19, but he also became the first player in two years to beat Alcaraz on Centre Court. Back in May, Evert had said, “He does everything so well, he has full awareness of what his strengths and weaknesses are.” And while he lost to Alcaraz at Roland Garros soon after, he got his redemption in London. But following the match, an odd accusation was thrown Chris Evert’s way.

It’s been three days since Sinner’s iconic win at Wimbledon. Yet, everyone’s still buzzing about the match like it was yesterday. The official Wimbledon X account posted a short clip of the Royal Box’s reaction to Carlos winning the first set, and in the video, the WTA legend in a pink and white dress and shades was seen raising her arms in celebration for the Spaniard’s win, even standing along with the crowd to clap for him. An X user shot back at this tweet, writing, “Shoutout to .@ChrissieEvert for not rooting for the Ginger CLOSTEBOL 😜#Wimbledon”

They were pointing to Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy, which happened last March and cost him three months off the court by WADA after the ITIA had ruled him out under “no fault or negligence.” The controversy had stirred up plenty among players and fans, but Evert was not having it. She wrote back, “who said I was not rooting for Sinner? I applauded the unbelievable set point and the performance of both of them that set…”

This isn’t the first time Sinner has faced backlash after a big win. Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, wasted no time casting doubt on Sinner’s new champion status. Right after the final, Kyrgios jumped on X and posted, “Wimby wrapped up ☘️ REPLY with 1 word on how we feel about it 🤷🏽‍♂️” making it clear he had strong feelings brewing.

But while some had this misconception about Chris’ favorism towards Alcaraz, it’s good to see her standing up for the Italian. Especially after she’s praised him a few times. Not to mention, she was just as gutted when the Italian lost the French Open final.

Chris Evert makes an honest plea for Jannik Sinner in Paris

Last month, Alcaraz and Sinner lit up Roland-Garros with a final for the ages, going toe-to-toe for five and a half hours in the longest French Open title match ever. Alcaraz clawed back from two sets down—something he’d never done before—and stunned the Italian, who hadn’t lost a set all tournament. The 4-6, 6(4)-7, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) marathon saw pure electric tennis, with the world watching as the defending champ rose to the occasion and snapped Sinner’s dream run.

The legends took notice. After the final, seeing Sinner’s heartbroken expression while the Spaniard celebrated, Chris Evert captured the spirit perfectly, posting, “GIVE THE TROPHY TO BOTH OF THEM….👍👏.” The emotion was palpable all around.

Even showing respect for Sinner’s incredible fight and Alcaraz’s star power, she couldn’t help herself. Making an honest admission, “I feel SO BADLY for Jannik & yet I am so unbelievably impressed with Carlos. These two are next level…. Two GREAT guys! Carlos is more outward and charming and people gravitate to his absolute joy and Jannik is kind and quiet and lovely. WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THEM IN OUR SPORT.” When the tennis legends themselves are in awe, you know it was special.

Now, both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have notched wins over each other on the Grand Slam stage. Carlos shattered Jannik’s perfect GS final streak, while Sinner famously broke Carlos’ own undefeated run at Wimbledon. For Chris Evert, it’s all about the brilliance: she’s just happy to have witnessed tennis of this caliber.