John McEnroe Slams Wimbledon Over One Rule Change That Made Carlos Alcaraz Furious

“I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves. It’s a sound that will keep me up at night,” Iga Swiatek said after capturing her first Wimbledon title on Saturday, defeating Amanda Anisimova in a lopsided but emotionally charged final. The polite hush of Centre Court has long been sacred, broken only by the thwack of racquets or the occasional gasp from the crowd. But this Wimbledon, a new sound has intruded: the celebratory pop of champagne bottles, midpoint, mid-serve, and mid-focus. And even during the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The tradition of strawberries and cream, the royal box, and the green lawns all remain intact. But so does the noise. The increasingly disruptive presence of spectators celebrating with champagne during play has annoyed various players. Anisimova, too, was caught off guard by the racket while serving in her third-round match. Still, she handled it with humor. “At some point I was, like, can everybody just do it on the changeover?” she told the amused crowd, flashing a smile that belied her nerves.

The champagne saga carried over into the men’s final, a high-stakes clash between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. As Sinner prepared to serve in the second set, a cork launched onto the court. The Italian paused, bent down to retrieve it, and handed it to a ball girl. The people in the crowd booed and the umpire issued instructions to the crowd to respect the players as they readied to serve. She said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, out of respect to our players, please do not pop the Champagne cork just as a player is about to serve.” Alcaraz, on the other side of the net, appeared visibly annoyed by the disruption.

American legend John McEnroe, calling the match from the commentary booth, didn’t hold back. “Should at least take the bottle away from them,” he said, summing up what many on Centre Court and likely watching at home were thinking.

Andy Roddick also commented on the bizarre incident on X  and wrote, “Who do you think you are?” Any individual drinking champagne will have spent a pretty penny, with it costing just over £100 ($116.9) to purchase one this year.

Jannik Sinner will be hoping the champagne stays on ice until the job is done. On Sunday, he gets another crack at Carlos Alcaraz, this time on the grass of Centre Court, with revenge and redemption on the line.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz set to recreate French Open epic at Wimbledon

Just weeks ago in Paris, Carlos Alcaraz clawed back from two sets down to snatch the French Open title from Sinner’s grasp in what many have called the match of the year.

It was Alcaraz’s fifth consecutive win over Sinner, a streak the Italian will be desperate to snap. And he’ll have to do it on Alcaraz’s turf. The 22-year-old Spaniard is chasing a third straight Wimbledon crown and has yet to lose a completed match at the All England Club since his debut.

“I’ve just seen a few clips and a few points but not that much. I am still thinking about that moment sometimes. It was the best match I have ever played so far,” Alcaraz said ahead of their latest showdown. “I’m not surprised he pushed me to the limit. I expect that on Sunday.”

Sinner, World No. 1, acknowledged the bar had been set sky-high in Paris. “We saw the last final—you never know [what will happen],” he said. “Hopefully, it’s going to be a good match like the last one. I don’t know if it can be better because I don’t think it’s possible. But we will do our best.”

With both players in peak form and the rivalry at full boil, Centre Court may be bracing for another classic. And this time, Sinner is aiming to write a different ending. Follow the Championships in real-time with EssentiallySports’ Live Blog updates.