Jannik Sinner is now a Wimbledon champion.
The 23-year-old Italian stunned Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, claiming his first Wimbledon title and ending a five-match losing streak against his fiercest rival. The straight-sets win came just five weeks after Sinner lost a heartbreaking French Open final to the same opponent.
“Only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we’ve been through,” Sinner said after the match. “It’s been everything except easy.”
The final, played before a packed crowd of 15,000, was not just a rematch it was a test of Sinner’s resolve. On June 9, he had squandered three championship points and a two-set lead in Paris. On July 13, he didn’t blink.
After the final point, Sinner fell to the grass in quiet relief. “To share this moment with my whole family here, it’s the most amazing thing that could have happened to me,” he said.
The win marks a dramatic turnaround after a loss that could have derailed a player’s confidence. Instead, Sinner took just three days off. He returned home, spent time with friends, and got back to training. His coaches said he knew exactly what was at stake.
“He needed that win today,” said Darren Cahill. “He understood the importance of finishing this one.”
Sinner entered Wimbledon after an early loss at Halle, where he was knocked out in the second round by Alexander Bublik. But something shifted during practice week at the All England Club. He cruised through the first three rounds, dropping just 17 games in nine sets.
Still, his path wasn’t flawless. In the fourth round, Sinner fell two sets behind against Grigor Dimitrov before the Bulgarian withdrew with injury. Sinner also suffered an elbow injury in the match but pushed through, defeating American Ben Shelton and seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach the final.
“I had a very tough loss in Paris,” Sinner told the crowd. “It doesn’t matter how you win or lose you just have to understand what you did wrong and fix it.”
The Wimbledon trophy is now Sinner’s third Grand Slam title in 12 months, after back-to-back wins at the Australian Open. The French Open remains the only major missing from his résumé and the only thing separating him from a career Grand Slam.
Sinner’s year, however, has not been without controversy. He served a three-month doping ban earlier this season after testing positive twice for clostebol, a banned anabolic agent. The World Anti-Doping Agency ruled that he had not intended to cheat but held him accountable for negligence by his support team. The suspension fell between his January Australian Open title and the French Open.
Despite the setback, Sinner has held on to the world No. 1 ranking. His ability to manage both personal challenges and pressure from the sport’s rising stars has set him apart.
“He’s focused on court,” Cahill said, “but off court, he’s the guy messing up dinner and making everyone laugh.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner have now claimed eight of the last nine major titles. Their rivalry, once rooted in youth and promise, has become one of the most compelling battles in modern tennis. Sunday’s result proves Sinner isn’t just competing he’s winning.
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