(July 13, 2025)Just five weeks after a heart-breaking loss in the final of the French Open in which he had three championship points, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner beat No. 2 and two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to notch his first Wimbledon title. It’s the first Wimbledon title for an Italian.
The loss marked the Spaniard’s first loss in 6 major tournament finals. He had bested Sinner in their last five matches. Alcaraz has been on a 20-match win streak at the All-England Club and a 24-match streak this year.
“It’s so special,” Sinner said. “Seeing my parents here, my brother, my whole team, it’s amazing. Actually a special thanks to my brother, because there is no Formula 1 race this weekend, that’s why he is here.”
“It’s always a bad feeling losing matches,” Alcaraz said. “It’s a little bit even worse when you lose in a final.”
“I just want to keep the good moments and try to forget the bad moments,” Alcaraz said Sunday. “I just want to think, ‘OK, I just played a final in a Grand Slam, and try to forget that I lost it.’”
“It’s mostly emotional, because I had a very tough loss in Paris,” Sinner said during the trophy ceremony. “But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you win or how you lose at important tournaments, you just have to understand what you did wrong and try to work on that, and that’s exactly what we did. We tried to accept the loss and just kept working. This is for sure one of the reasons I am holding this trophy here. I am just so grateful that I am healthy and have great people around me, and holding this trophy means a lot.”
“Today was complicated, a little bit,” Alcaraz said, “one of the best returners on tour, without a doubt.”
“I mean, with the nerves and everything, it was difficult to serve better,” Alcaraz said. “I just have to improve that, absolutely.”
“He was pushing me to the limit on every point. So mentally, sometimes, it’s really tough to maintain the good focus or the good level during the whole match when you see the opponent just playing such a great tennis,” Alcaraz said in his news conference. “At some points, I didn’t know what I had to do in the match, because from the baseline, I was feeling he was better than me, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“Carlos, again, an amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are,” Sinner said. “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]!
“It’s difficult to lose. It’s always difficult to lose, even if it is in the final, but first of all I have to congratulate Jannik once again,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony. “It is a really well-deserved trophy [after] an unbelievable two weeks here in London for you, playing great tennis. For your team as well. I know that there are a lot of family and a lot of friends watching you here, so it’s just an amazing team around you.
“I’m really happy for you. So just keep it going, and I’m really happy to be able to build a really good relationship off the court but then a good rivalry on the court. It makes me improve every day, so thank you very much and congratulations.”
Sinner was fortunate just to make it to the quarterfinals as Grigor Dimitrov lead the Italian two sets to none when the Bulgarianb was forced to retire with a pectoral injury.
“He caught a break, no question about it,” said Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill.
“I’m really proud about everything I’m doing,” said Alcaraz. “At the beginning of the season, I struggled a bit on the court and off the court, but then suddenly I just started to really enjoy being on court again, being happy again, and that excitement I have every time step on the court is thanks to my team, my family and lot of friends. I am happy that I have them here. Without them it wouldn’t be possible to stand here right now- It’s a great journey so far which I’m really proud about. I just want to keep it going.”
“I had a very tough loss in Paris but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you win or you lose, especially in important tournaments, you just have to understand what you did wrong,” Sinner said.
“We try and work on that. That’s exactly what we did. We tried to accept the loss and just kept working and this is one of the reasons why I hold this trophy here.
“I’m just so grateful that I’m healthy, that I have great people around me, which is the most important part and having this trophy means a lot.
“The last game, I served very well so I’m very happy about that. But best-of-five, every moment can change the match so I’m very happy that I hold my nerves. It’s an amazing feeling.”
As Sinner said, “winning Wimbledon is the most special thing you can have”.
“This is the part that I’m the proudest of because it really has not been easy. I always tried to be honest with myself and had the self-talk too, you know, what if, what if? I always tried to accept it, in a way,” Sinner said.
“Things can happen. I believe if you lose a Grand Slam final that way (over five sets), it’s much better like this than someone kills you, you know, that you make two games. Then after you keep going, keep pushing. I did a lot of intensity in every practice because I felt like I could play very good. That’s why I also said after Roland-Garros that it’s not the time to put me down, no, because another Grand Slam is coming up, and I did great here.”
“It has been very emotional, no, even if I don’t cry,” he said. “It feels emotional because 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’s coach Darren Cahill spoke to media about the match:
“Today was important not just because it was a Grand Slam final, not just because it was Wimbledon, and not just because Carlos had won the last five matches against him,” Cahill added. “He needed that win today. So he knew the importance of closing this one out when he had the opportunities.”
“Happy would be a massive understatement,” Cahill said.
“It’s always a bad feeling losing matches – a little bit worse, even, when you lose in the final,” Alcaraz said. “But overall I’m really proud of what I’ve done in the last four weeks on grass.
“I did everything I could today, I just faced someone who played an unbelievable game. I’ll leave Wimbledon with my head held really high.
“Right now I’m not [feeling] bad at all. I’m just happy. I’m smiling, because in my head it was about playing in the final and being grateful for that.”
“He didn’t surprise me at all, that he was able to get over that so quickly and win here,” said Alcaraz. “Champions learn from… I’m not going to say their failures, but they learn from their losses.
“I knew he was going to learn from that final, not make the same mistakes. The way he played today was really high, and he knew he was going to play like this. I know he’s a really nice player and a huge champion.”
“Last year at the Olympics I was really bad emotionally after the match. It was really, really hard for me to accept that moment.
“Now I just accept everything that is coming to me. OK, I just lost a Grand Slam final but I am really proud about being in a final, forget that I lost it. I just want to keep the good moments and trying to forget the bad moments.
“In this match he was pushing me to the limit in every point. At some points I didn’t know what to do. From the baseline he was better than me, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“I am really happy about having this rivalry with him,” said Alcaraz. “It’s great for us, and it’s great for tennis. Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high. I don’t see any other players having the level we do when we face each other.
“My rivalry with him gives me the chance to practice every day to be better. I’m grateful for it.”
Sinner leaves Wimbledon with more than 3000 point lead in the rankings. Sinner is now just a French Open title away from completing a career Grand Slam. Alcaraz is an Australian Open away from also accomplishing the same feat. The Italian is the U.S. Open defending champion.
