"I always try to be honest with myself, and the ability to bounce back after Roland Garros is what I'm most proud of," Sinner said after defeating Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on the afternoon of 13/7, securing his first Wimbledon title.
Sinner believes that his loss after leading by two sets at Roland Garros taught him valuable lessons. He even described it as a "good loss" for his career. "I trained very hard because I always felt I could play better," he explained. "I didn't get down on myself after Roland Garros, knowing the next Grand Slam was coming up, and I did well at Wimbledon."
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Alcaraz (right) congratulates Sinner after the Wimbledon final, on Centre Court at the All England Club, London, England on 13/7. Photo: Reuters |
Alcaraz (right) congratulates Sinner after the Wimbledon final, on Centre Court at the All England Club, London, England on 13/7. Photo: Reuters
This rematch against Alcaraz played out differently, with Sinner losing the first set. In a match where both players had few break point opportunities, Sinner excelled in the remaining three sets, earning one break point per set and holding all of his service games. This marked Sinner's first victory against Alcaraz after five consecutive defeats. Their head-to-head record now stands at 8-5 in Alcaraz's favor.
His fourth Grand Slam title brings Sinner one step closer to Alcaraz's total. Both players have a chance to complete a career Grand Slam, with Sinner needing the French Open and Alcaraz the Australian Open.
"When you have an opponent like Alcaraz, who has almost everything, my job is to be ready to keep up," Sinner added. "I'm happy to keep competing with Alcaraz, expressing myself, maintaining healthy competition, and looking forward to the results."
Despite winning two out of three Grand Slams this year and maintaining the world number one ranking despite a three-month break, Sinner doesn't believe he's at his peak. The 23-year-old admitted to feeling mental pressure due to last year's doping incident but expressed gratitude for the support of his family and team.
Sinner will take a few weeks off before starting the hard court season, his strongest surface in recent years. He is the defending champion of the US Open and the ATP Finals.
Vy Anh
