Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon for the first time – together with his final opponent Carlos Alcaraz, he is likely to dominate the future

In July 2019, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic met in the Wimbledon final. It was the third and final meeting between the old rivals in the final of the most important tournament on the tour. Federer, then 38, had been the better player for over two hours. He only lost his serve for the first time in the closing stages of the fourth set. With the score at 8-7 in the deciding set, he had two consecutive match points. And yet, in the end, he came away empty-handed.

It was the Basel native's last chance to add a ninth Wimbledon and 21st major title to his collection. It was his final appearance in the final of the tournament that had shaped his career more than any other. The following year, he returned to the All England Lawn Tennis Club and lost his last match there in the quarterfinals to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland. The 0-6 defeat in the third set remains today like an ugly scar on his otherwise nearly perfect resume.

Federer's time is up, and Djokovic is unlikely to celebrate another Wimbledon title either, even though he's still on the court. At this year's tournament, he lost in three short sets in the semifinals on Friday to eventual winner Jannik Sinner.

The 23-year-old South Tyrolean is the new king of Wimbledon. He beat the Spanish defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4:6, 6:4, 6:4, 6:4 in just over three hours. Sinner converted his second match point with a service winner and then raised his arms in almost disbelief. He is the first Italian to triumph at Wimbledon. Afterwards, he knelt down, sent a few words of thanks to heaven, and tapped his hand on the grass.

Sinner thus confirmed his status as the current best player on the tour. At the beginning of the year, he had already won the first major title of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne. Sinner now has four Grand Slam victories. Now he only needs the French Open title to complete his career Grand Slam.

Three weeks ago, a dramatic final between the two had unfolded there, heightening the intensity of the Wimbledon final. The match had lasted five sets and almost five and a half hours. Sinner had five match points in that match, all of which Alcaraz fended off .

That match and the missed opportunities came to Sinner's mind when he faced his three match points at Wimbledon. In his interview after the match, the Italian said that any single point could turn the game around in a three-set match. "That's why we study our defeats and try to learn the right lessons from them." Sinner then thanked his opponent.

Of course, these words were the usual respect a winner owes his opponent. And yet, the Sinner-Alcaraz duel is likely to be the duel of the coming years. The era of Federer, Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal is finally over and already beginning to fade. Of the trio that dominated men's tennis for years, only Djokovic is still on the tour. But at Wimbledon, he hinted that this might be his last appearance.

The future belongs to others. Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last seven major tournaments between them. The last other major winner was Djokovic at the 2023 US Open. The 38-year-old Serb holds the record with 24 major titles, tied with Australian Margaret Court, and aims to become the sole record winner with a 25th victory. But his success becomes less likely with every tournament another player wins.

Sinner and Alcaraz are likely to shape men's tennis over the next ten years. But to do so, they must stay healthy. One of Federer's greatest achievements is that he remained injury-free for over two decades. For a long time, occasional back problems were the only ailments that limited him. Only towards the end of his extraordinary career did Federer's body begin to stir and rebel.

Alcaraz cultivates a physical style, similar to that of his great role model Rafael Nadal, who constantly battled injuries . Alcaraz, too, had his first problems. But recently, he strung together 24 victories and titles in Rome, Paris, and London's Queen's Club. At the beginning of the season, he struggled with physical problems and motivation. But now, the Spaniard said after losing the final, he feels joy again when he steps onto the court. Then he turned to his opponent and said: "I have to congratulate you almost every week. You deserve this trophy like no other. We already have a great rivalry."

Sinner cemented his lead in the world rankings at Wimbledon, which he would have retained even if he had lost. He had to sit out the competition for about three months in the spring due to a doping ban . This is why he won only his second title of the current season at Wimbledon.

Sinner thanked his team and also his brother, who was only there this time because there just happened to be no Formula 1 race that weekend. This was a dig, because a few weeks ago – when Sinner returned to the Tour, reaching the final in Rome and losing to Alcaraz – his brother was absent due to the Grand Prix in Imola taking place at the same time.

Sinner then added: "This moment is very emotional, especially because of the defeat in Paris, which was very tough. But I'm trying to put it behind me and continue to work on myself." He's obviously succeeded in doing so.

Like Alcaraz, Sinner has now joined Wimbledon's exclusive circle of honorary members, reserved for all former champions. This gives him lifetime access to the beautiful grounds just outside London.

Before him, Poland's Iga Swiatek also advanced to that circle in Saturday's women's final. She won the women's final against the overwhelmed American Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. Sinner said on court at the end that winning here had been a childhood dream of his. "Now I'm living that dream."

At the end of the match, Sinner said on the court that winning here had been a childhood dream of his. "Now I'm living that dream." He won't be able to wake up from this so quickly. He's here to stay.