World No. 1 Jannik Sinner captured his maiden Wimbledon crown by defeating two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in four sets, halting a five-match losing streak against the Spaniard. Sinner triumphed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, securing the title just over a month after a heartbreaking loss to Alcaraz in the French Open final.
The 23-year-old Italian now holds three of the four Grand Slam titles and will head into Roland-Garros next year in pursuit of a career Grand Slam. The Wimbledon final lasted three hours and four minutes—considerably shorter than their lengthy battle in Paris.
Sinner’s path to the title nearly derailed in the fourth round against Grigor Dimitrov, when a pectoral muscle injury almost forced him out. However, the momentum shift proved pivotal, not only in that match but possibly in the course of their rivalry. With this win, Sinner narrows the Grand Slam tally gap to Alcaraz—five to four—and wins his first major outside of hard courts. Meanwhile, Alcaraz experienced his first loss in a Grand Slam final.
“I had a very tough loss in Paris. But it doesn’t really matter how you win or lose the important tournaments, you just have to understand what you did wrong, try to work on that,” Sinner said during the on-court ceremony.
“This is for sure one of the reasons why I’m holding this trophy. I’m very happy that I held my nerves. It’s an amazing feeling.”
In the first Wimbledon men’s final contested by two players born in the 2000s, Sinner made the first move by breaking Alcaraz for a 3-2 lead. The Spaniard, however, fired back with a blistering 136mph ace to open the match and raised the bar with successive serves clocking 139mph and later reaching 140mph—a personal record.
Sinner struck early with a break, but Alcaraz quickly recovered, claiming four consecutive games and clinching the opening set with a breathtaking rally that ended with a backhand winner. His celebration—pointing to his head—reflected both strategy and showmanship.
Despite losing the opening set, a common theme in many of his past wins over Sinner, Alcaraz faltered at the start of the second. Sinner, uncharacteristically vocal, shouted “Let’s go” after saving a break point in the following game. During a tense service game later, play was briefly halted when a champagne cork launched from the stands narrowly missed him—drawing boos and prompting a warning from umpire Alison Hughes.
With memories of his Paris collapse still fresh, Sinner showed composure serving at 5-4, unleashing a series of aggressive shots that brought up set point and sealed the set with a cross-court winner.
In the third, Sinner missed two early break chances but continued to apply pressure. At 4-4, he broke Alcaraz again with a forehand into the corner followed by a composed volley, and closed the set with dominant serving.
Sinner’s grip tightened early in the fourth with another break to go up 2-1. Alcaraz weathered a couple of tense service games, and the Centre Court crowd rallied behind him as Sinner faced two break points at 4-3. But the Italian silenced the resistance with four straight points.
Serving for the championship—just as he had unsuccessfully done in Paris—Sinner created three match points. He squandered the first with a backhand into the net, but a 137mph serve on the second sealed the title.
“It’s difficult to lose. First of all I have to congratulate Jannik once again. It’s a really well-deserved trophy. Unbelievable two weeks here in London playing great tennis,” Alcaraz said after the match.
“Really proud of everything I’m doing. At the beginning of the season I struggled a little bit, on the court, off the court, but then suddenly I started to bring joy on the court again. I just want to keep going, to keep bringing joy on the court.”
The final also drew a glittering crowd. Keira Knightley attended with her husband, Klaxons musician James Righton, sitting alongside actors Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. Nicole Kidman was spotted chatting with Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour. Royal presence included the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Kate, the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, received a standing ovation upon her arrival.
