Just over a month ago, Jannik Sinner stood on the brink of Grand Slam glory at Roland Garros. Three championship points came and went. Carlos Alcaraz clawed his way back in a match that turned into an instant classic and left the Italian shattered after five and a half hours of brutal tennis. But on Sunday, July 13, Sinner flipped the script. With Centre Court buzzing and the stakes just as high, the World No.1 delivered his long-awaited revenge. He outlasted Alcaraz in a gripping four-set final—4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4—to lift his first Wimbledon title.

This wasn’t just about the trophy. It was about coming back from the kind of loss that keeps a player up at night. For Sinner, it quite literally did. He admitted that the French Open loss haunted him and gave him many “sleepless nights.” 

So, how does it feel to win now? In his winning speech, Jannik Sinner said, “Yes, I would say it was mostly emotional, because I had a very tough loss in Paris. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you win or lose—especially in important tournaments. What matters is understanding what you did wrong and working on that. That’s exactly what we did.” He continued, “We accepted the loss and just kept working, and that’s definitely one of the reasons I’m holding this trophy now. I’m so grateful to be healthy and to have great people around me—that’s the most important part. Having this trophy with me means a lot.”

The World No.1’s preparation showed in every key stat that mattered. While Alcaraz fired more aces, 15 to Sinner’s 8, it was the Italian who delivered a cleaner serving performance. Alcaraz racked up 7 double faults to Sinner’s 2, and though both won 75% of their first-serve points, Sinner had the edge on second serve, winning 63% compared to the Spaniard’s 58%. Break points told the rest of the story. Sinner made more of his chances, capitalizing on the few cracks that opened in Alcaraz’s game.

And with this win, the rivalry intensifies even more!

Jannik Sinner inches closer to Carlos Alcaraz in an era-defining rivalry

In the Open Era, only Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have met in both the Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same season more than once. Now, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz join that elite company, trading major blows in what’s shaping up to be the defining battle of this generation. They’ve split the last seven Slams, with no signs of slowing down.

Jannik’s win also made history. Sinner became the first Italian man to win Wimbledon. He’s now just one French Open title away from completing the Career Grand Slam. Alcaraz, with five majors to his name, needs only the Australian Open. The latest win narrows the Slam gap between them to one, while extending Sinner’s lead at the top of the PIF ATP Rankings to 3,430 points.

But perhaps the most personal victory? Ending a five-match losing streak to Alcaraz in their head-to-head. And despite the weight of history and rivalry, Sinner made it clear this was a match played with mutual respect. “Carlos, again, an amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are,” Sinner said during the trophy ceremony. “It’s so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship off the court and on the court, we just try to build up, and to do that we need the best teams in the world. Keep going, keep pushing and you are going to hold this [trophy] many times. You already have two [titles]!”

Rivals in full throttle, champions in the making, Sinner and Alcaraz are only getting started. And if Sunday was any sign, the best of this rivalry is still to come.