Winning Wimbledon and more so by defeating his arch rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final was perhaps the biggest highlight of his young tennis career. “Only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court, and it has been everything except easy,” Sinner said after the win. But apart from being the first Italian to win a Wimbledon title, the World No. 1 was news for some other reason as well.

Ecstatic about the huge win, the 4-time Grand Slam champ arrived two hours late at the traditional Wimbledon dinner. And Iga Swiatek, who also won her first Wimbledon title, was on time. As per the historic tradition, the winning couple was expected to do the iconic champions’ dance. But since Sinner arrived two hours late to the party, the organizers were okay to skip the dance. So was Sinner. However, it was Swiatek who convinced the Italian for the champions’ ball.

“Yes, I mean, we were there and in the beginning they told us that we, because it was quite late, that we don’t have to do it,” Sinner said. “And then Iga told me, ‘No, no, let’s do it.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ It’s tradition, so it’s good to make that happen. And yeah, it was nice to share this moment with Iga, and it’s, yeah, a beautiful moment.” Now, a week later, someone who was present at the Champions dinner has also disclosed some backstage scoop.

Former American pro Sam Querrey had attended this event, and according to him, the women’s champion, Iga Swiatek, showed up at 10:30. But the Italian? “Sinner came at 12:05. That’s what it was…No, I didn’t care. It was just like he was in the back, just like hammering drinks, I think, with his team. Obviously, like having a good time. He came out with a trophy, and then at some point, Laura Robson (host) brings both of them (Jannik and Iga) on stage, does a little Q&A with Iga and Jannik, pretty quick,” said Querrey in the recent episode of Nothing Major Show.

Well, Querrey’s response does not come as a surprise, especially after Jannik admitted how lost he was in the celebration. During the Champions Dinner, Robson, who was hosting the program, even asked the men’s champ if he had digested anything yet because it had been only a few hours since he was on the court. In reply, Jannik gave a broad smile and cracked a joke, saying, “Digested? I don’t know. We were drinking quite a lot.”

And Iga, who donned a lilac Stella McCartney gown featuring a halter neckline and ball-chin collar, accessorized with a Rolex watch and minimal jewelry, was also full of praise for Sinner. Swiatek congratulated him through a social media post, saying, “Congratulations @janniksin on making your dream come true. I’m so happy for you and your team.“