New Delhi: Jannik Sinner whipped a forehand cross-court that had Carlos Alcaraz scrambling to his right. The energetic Spaniard was on it in a flash. Two shots later, it was Alcaraz’s turn to have Sinner on the run – moving to his right on a short, angled ball. The Italian responded with a cracking forehand down the line that looked destined to be a winner. In most cases, against most opponents, that would have been a winner or at least forced an error. Instead, Alcaraz took a couple of steps to his left, flung his backhand with some spin, and it landed in – much to everyone’s surprise. The crowd on Centre Court was up on its feet.Still, 44 minutes into the Wimbledon final, Jannik Sinner could be forgiven for thinking about yet another title clash he had let slip. Just four weeks ago, Sinner was two sets up against Alcaraz in the French Open final. The Italian had three championship points, and failed to capitalise. Alcaraz went on to turn the match around to clinch his fifth major title.The script was turning out to be quite similar so far. Sinner led 4-2 in the first set and hadn’t put a foot wrong. Yet, Alcaraz elevated his level to bag four games in a row, including that seemingly unwinnable point, to take the opener.The turning point came a game later. It wasn’t a stellar shot, or a crucial juncture in the contest, or one of the many dramatic points played between these two new rivals in men’s tennis. It was a routine forehand that Alcaraz sent long at 30-40 in the second set. It gave Sinner the service break and the momentum, which he never let go of.
Forty-eight minutes after seeing that ball land in, dropping the first set and possibly getting those flashes of Paris, it was Sinner’s turn to hit a remarkable shot to clinch the second set. The 22-year-old Spaniard’s angled backhand pushed Sinner to his left. The 23-year-old went down the line before Alcaraz forced him into covering the vacant court. On the run – seemingly with sliding shoes on – Sinner threw the kitchen sink at it, firing a forehand cross-court winner. “Unbelievable,” chimed the commentator. The crowd, on its feet, felt similarly, with the decibel level rising.The dramatics of that Paris evening on June 8 were not repeated – even if there were hints of it. In the fourth set, having taken the third, Sinner broke early like he had in Paris. But he never gave it back – unlike Paris. There was a whiff of danger as two break-point chances came and went for Alcaraz at 4-3.There were no signs of nerves, either, as Sinner closed out the match to win his first Wimbledon title with a 137mph serve his fastest of the day.“He needed that win today,” Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill said. “So he knew the importance of closing this one out when he had the opportunities. I think you saw a bit more energy from him in the big moments and a bit more focus to knuckle down and make sure that when he had his nose in front, that he kept on closing the door against Carlos.”The emotions at the end showed how much it meant to him. He raised both arms before going down on his haunches in the middle of the court and tapping the grass, as the applause grew bigger and louder. The top-ranked player then made his way to his coaches, his family, and friends including his brother, who didn’t miss it this time for a Formula 1 race!Sinner’s ability to out-hit opponents cannot be doubted. As he became the first Italian to win a singles title at Wimbledon, his mental fortitude stood out as well.“It’s the part I’m most proud of because it hasn’t been easy. I always try to be honest with myself. Things can happen. If you lose a Grand Slam final that way, it’s much better than losing where someone kills you by losing two games,” he said of bouncing back from the disappointment of losing the French Open final. “That’s why I said after Roland Garros that it’s not the time to put me down because another Grand Slam is coming up – and I did great here,” he added.Sinner had the champagne cork between his fingers during the second set as an overzealous fan popped some bubbly at SW19. At the time, all the Italian did was usher it to the ball girl, who got rid of it. “Only here at Wimbledon – but that’s exactly why we love playing here,” he said after the match when asked if he’d ever had that happen before. “It’s a very expensive tournament, you know,” he added to laughs.At the time, getting his hands on some champagne was premature. Now, with the job done, and deservedly so, he got his hands on the champagne, the trophy, and £3,000,000 in prize money.
