Jannik Sinner has dethroned Carlos Alcaraz with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 win securing him a first Wimbledon title in a successful revenge mission.
Sinner brutally lost the French Open final to his rival last month in a final which lasted five hours and 29 minutes but this time he came out on top.
The world No.1, who faced a three-month doping ban earlier this year, is the first Italian – man or woman – to land a Wimbledon singles trophy.
Sinner has now clinched four major titles, one more than British legend Andy Murray and one less than Alcaraz’s tally of five, with the 23-year-old just needing a Roland-Garros trophy to complete the career Grand Slam.
How Sinner battled past Alcaraz to clinch trophy
Alcaraz asserted his dominance in the very first game with a hold to love – but after Sinner grew in confidence – he did the same to level it up at 2-2.
It wasn’t until game five that we saw the first deuce – with Sinner handed a chance to break as Alcaraz fired into the net – and the Italian took the lead when his Spanish rival hit a shot far too long, before a hold made it 4-2.
But Alcaraz hit a stunning winner to go 40-15 up in the next game, pumping his fist to the crowd to generate support as he reduced Sinner’s lead to 4-3.
Defending champion Alcaraz then let out a huge roar in game eight, clearly fired up, as he produced some of his very best tennis in some brilliant rallies, securing his own first break to level up the first set at 4-4.
A hold left Sinner serving to stay in the set – and despite the world No.1 fending off a first set point – Alcaraz made no mistake with his second opportunity, somehow returning a ripping forehand down the line to register his second break of the match and take the first set 6-4.
It was such a good shot from Alcaraz that the crowd in Centre Court rose to their feet as the world No.2 pointed to his ear in celebration, with the first-set statistics showing that he was hitting more aces, winning more points on his first serve and making less unforced errors than his rival.
Sinner knew he needed to go up a level in the second set and indeed he didearly-on with a break in the first game before a significant hold, in which he saved a break point himself, screaming out a ‘let’s go’ as he went 2-0 up.
The duo traded the next few service games until Alcaraz was made to save a break point in game seven, with a big hold denying Sinner a larger lead.
Sinner held to love in the following game to lead 5-3, this time leaving Alcaraz serving to stay in the set – which he did – but it didn’t matter as the top seed hit a stunning cross-court winner to wrap up the second set 6-4.
Statistics showed that Alcaraz was still winning more points on his first serve – but Sinner was now winning far more points on his second serve and registering less unforced errors.
Alcaraz saved two break points at the start of the third set, the first with a 137mph ace and the second when Sinner’s looping forehand landed long.
But there wasn’t even a whiff of a break point for a period after that as the Wimbledon final turned into something of a chess match, with both superstars both playing an extraordinarily high level of tennis in SW19.
The breakthrough finally came in game nine as Alcaraz’s concentration levels seemed to drop – with the Spanish star making a number of mistakes – for Sinner to break him and then hold to lead 4-6 6-4 6-4.
‘He is playing much better than me,’ a dejected Alcaraz was heard saying to his team towards the end of the third set, which also saw Sinner produce a ridiculous front-facing tweener volley.
Sinner then took firm control in the third game of the fourth set, with a wonderful backhand winner down the line bringing up break point, which he converted, to leave Alcaraz on the ropes.
Drama followed in game eight as Sinner was made to save two break points before a colossus hold saw him lead 5-3 and edge towards victory.
Alcaraz produced one last hold – but it wasn’t enough – as Sinner served out the match to land his fourth Grand Slam trophy and first Wimbledon title of his career.
