The two players, 22 and 23 years old respectively, have won seven of the last eight majors and have each claimed three titles since the start of 2024. Alcaraz's star rose earlier, while still a teenager, whereas Sinner has rapidly improved in the past two seasons to become the Spaniard's biggest rival.

Sinner has maintained his world number one ranking despite a three-month suspension. Alcaraz holds the advantage in their head-to-head record, having won their last five matches and leading 8-4 overall after 12 encounters. Although their matches are often close, Alcaraz consistently finds a way to prevail, demonstrating greater resilience and superior fitness.

Three years ago, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the fourth round of Wimbledon, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. Since then, Alcaraz has remained undefeated on the London grass courts, amassing a 20-match winning streak—the fifth-best in Wimbledon history, tying him with fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal. Sinner acknowledges his opponent's rapid progress on grass, while admitting it has taken him longer to adapt to the surface.

Sinner learned quickly, reaching the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, two tournaments with vastly different playing surfaces and conditions. This is a positive sign for the 23-year-old, as hard courts have been his strongest surface in recent years. While this is Sinner's first Wimbledon final, Alcaraz has won the tournament for the past two years.

Sinner narrowly avoided elimination in the quarterfinals, down two sets to Dimitrov before his opponent retired due to injury. Alcaraz also faced a near-early exit in the first round, barely recovering against veteran Fabio Fognini. These close calls served as turning points for both players, allowing them to regain momentum. Sinner went on to win six straight sets against Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic, while Alcaraz prevented upsets from Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz.

Vy Anh