If redemption was ever to be described in the form of a tennis match, the final of Wimbledon 2025 would be an ideal nominee. #1 Jannik Sinner and #2 Carlos Alcaraz took to the court against each other for the second time in five weeks, and in Grand Slam finals on both occasions. A heartbreaking loss in the French Open final for Sinner, where he let slip three match points, made Alcaraz a firm favorite for the Wimbledon final as well.
Spectators, analysts, and commentators felt that the Spaniard had the mental edge over the Italian. However, the sunshine of Centre Court in London saw the rise of a new champion, who not only lifted the trophy but also defied multiple odds and flashbacks against an opponent he lost to on five previous occasions. Sinner defeated Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 to become the first ever Italian to win the Wimbledon Championships.
Sinner mentions he wasn’t far away
In his post-tournament press conference, Sinner was rightly asked about the importance of this final victory. Five losses to Alcaraz on the bounce. The worst being the most recent one; it was a tough mental challenge to get out of the head. “Yeah. It is important for sure. When you lose several times against someone, it’s not easy. But at the same time in the past I felt I was very close. If you watch our matchups… starting with Beijing, 7-6 in the 3rd. Then Rome I had set point in the first set. I couldn’t use it. Then in Paris what happened happened. But I felt close.”
Sinner acknowledged how important the victory was. He also mentioned how he felt that he wasn’t out of the rivalry in any way as on each of the previous occasions he had opportunities to get ahead. He specifically mentioned the Beijing, Rome, and Roland Garros finals, which happened to be the last three matches between the pair prior to the Wimbledon final.
Sinner mentions he has bigger goals to achieve
He further added, “I never put myself down. I keep looking up to Carlos because even today I felt like he was doing a couple things better than I did. That’s something we will work on and prepare ourself. Because he is gonna come for us again. There’s not only Carlos but everyone. We have a big target on us. We have to be prepared. And then we will see what happens in the future.” He mentioned the fact that he made sure he stayed optimistic about his chances.
Sinner and his team looked to learn from the Italian’s opponents so that he could improve his own game. He acknowledged that the team has a big target ahead of them and they will strive to achieve more special things than those already ticked off. The tour will now move to the North American hard courts and Sinner will be back in action in two weeks time in Toronto for the Roger’s Cup Masters event.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
