By conquering Wimbledon, Sinner takes Italian tennis to a place it has never been before.


(EPA photo)
in London
The South Tyrolean joins the very elite circle of London Grand Slam winners. Chronicle of a "dream of dreams."
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Wimbledon . Jannik Sinner is the first Italian in the history of tennis to win Wimbledon, the most prestigious of the Slams, “the dream of dreams,” as he told the crowd at the end of the match, after the congratulations and the presentation of the trophy by the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) , the tennis club that has organized the Championships since 1877. 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 is the result of a final that certifies the formidable moment of Italian tennis, the highest in its history, and enshrines Jannik Sinner in the firmament of the greats: four Slams in his trophy cabinet, the first on London grass, and a fourth consecutive major final .
Sinner's start is a bit hesitant. His arm seems stuck, but his serve is as good as it's ever been. In the fifth game, the Italian breaks. 0-15 is a caress that makes the Centre Court crowd sigh, including André Agassi, dressed in all-white in the Royal Box, sitting one row above Kate, William, and their children, George and Charlotte. But Alcaraz revs up the pace: a delightful stop volley, a forehand acceleration, and a backhand error from Sinner hand the Spaniard the break. As the rally lengthens, it seems as if Alcaraz is in control, and Sinner is holding on, stemming, containing the fury of the Spanish. The defending Wimbledon champion goes to 5-4 and, on Sinner's serve, wins the set with a fantastic backhand defense that brings the entire Centre Court to a standstill.
On the eve of the match, Juan Carlos Ferrero had told his Carlos to play this final "with joy." But at the start of the second set, the first cracks began to appear. Sinner broke, after a game the Spanish player played perhaps too lightly. Down 2-0, the Spaniard's wrist unleashed a series of dazzling shots, but the dam erected by Sinner held firm. In the stands, a Björn Borg lookalike wearing a Spanish-themed headband tried to cheer Alcaraz on, but the Murcian player's fist-pump toward his box was more timid than usual. A spectator popped a champagne bottle and the cork fell onto the court: Sinner caught it amidst the audience's laughter and applause. But despite the skit, he didn't lose focus and jealously held on to his break until the end, taking advantage of the Spaniard's lapse. The final game of the second set was a Rossinian crescendo, each shot more spectacular than the last: a set all . At the start of the third set, there's some regret over the two break points missed in the first game, as in the previous one. But the opportunity presents itself again at 4-4, and this time Sinner makes no mistake. After a superb return, the world number one closes with a comfortable volley and goes to serve for the second set. A double fault at the start of the set has Sinner's fans trembling, but not him. He reacts immediately and earns two set points: the first is enough with a service winner. Alcaraz's first serves crumble as the sets progress, while Sinner's rises. At the start of the first game of the fourth set, Alcaraz tries to get going, saying "Vamos!" But Sinner is rock solid, becomes stifling on his return, and gets the break that puts him ahead 2-1. Another flawless service game and it's 3-1. Alcaraz feels the match slipping away from him and lets his arm go too far, overdoing it, overdoing it. "Yes, it can," his friends sitting in his corner try to encourage him. "No, it can't." And it becomes clear when a lucky ribbon gives Sinner the point to make it 4-2. "Come on Jannik, come on Jannik, come on Jannik," the Italian tennis player's supporters shout, as Sinner is about to serve for the match. After a backhand winner that puts him 30-0 up, he goes to the net and collects three Championship points. The first goes with a backhand into the net, the second is a service winner that closes the match and brings the Wimbledon title to the trophy cabinet of an Italian tennis player, something no one has ever done in the 138-year history of the Championships.
Before the eyes of his mother Siglinde and father Hanspeter, Jannik raises his arms to the sky, then bends down on the grass of Centre Court, almost as if to thank her for erasing the bad memories of Paris and the last Roland Garros, which he narrowly lost to Alcaraz. " When you're young, winning Wimbledon is the dream of dreams, because it's so far away, now I'm living it and it's beautiful, " Sinner said during the awards ceremony, as the sun completed its descent over the hill of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. After his tournament victory, the AELTC Chair of the Board accompanied the Italian tennis player to the Wimbledon Roll of Honor room, where since last night, his name has been engraved next to the year 2025: J. Sinner. As is tradition, the AELTC pin has been affixed to his jacket, entering him into the very exclusive circle of honorary members of the club. Thanks to this privilege, she will be able to play without qualifying until she is fit to compete, and will have access to the AELTC facilities, including practice courts and other locations, even outside the tournament. " It's wonderful. I hope my career lasts a long time, and then I'll think about coming back here as a member, " she replied during the ceremony. It was just after 8:00 PM when Sinner appeared on the AELTC terrace with the gold cup in hand, cheered by the crowd, before the gala dinner and the traditional dance with the women's singles winner, this year's Polish player Iga Swiatek. "Now I can even retire," joked Ubaldo Scanagatta in the press room at the end of the evening, while the AELTC loudspeakers politely invited spectators to head towards the Doherty Gates and say goodbye until next year. The sky was blue above the City.
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