Jannik Sinner responded to his heartbreaking French Open defeat in emphatic fashion by winning the Wimbledon title.
The Italian was distraught after squandering a two-set lead and multiple championship points in his bid to lift tennis’ most coveted trophy.
Sinner now has four Grand Slams to his name and he is the first Italian to triumph at the All-England Club.
The 23-year-old’s latest Grand Slam success is arguably his toughest yet after defeating Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz back-to-back to succeed at Wimbledon.
Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty ImagesJannik Sinner hails ‘amazing’ Novak Djokovic as he says what it is like to play against him
After saving match points to defeat Djokovic at the 2023 Davis Cup, Sinner has had the Serbian’s number.
The world number one has defeated Djokovic the last five times they have played, and the 38-year-old has claimed just two sets in that time.
Sinner has found a way to neutralise Djokovic’s weapons, using his defensive skills to outlast him from the back of the court and dominate rallies with aggressive shotmaking.
While Sinner at times seems comfortable playing against Djokovic, Sinner told CNBC International how difficult it is to face the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “Every time when you play against Novak it is very, very difficult because he has won so much,” Sinner said.
“He has this standing which at the moment no other player has, because of his experience and how many Grand Slams he has won, but also the shape that he is in with his age is just amazing.
“I would say it’s very inspiring for all of us young players and we are lucky that we can keep watching someone like Novak, because I believe he makes us a better player too.
“The match is a rollercoaster because he can raise the level immediately and you have to stay there mentally every point and try to understand what is going on.
“Fortunately, I love these challenges when you go on court and have a tough moment that you have to go through. It was definitely a very, very difficult match against Novak.”
Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic considers his future in tennis after losing to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon
Djokovic has reached the semi-finals of each of three Grand Slams played so far this season.
But after suffering a leg injury, Djokovic retired from his contest with Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, before Djokovic lost to Sinner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
He cut a resigned figure during his post-match press conference at SW19, claiming he is struggling physically at the latter stages of Grand Slams and he does not know how much time he has left in his career.
“I’ve put everything I possibly can when it comes to training and preparing myself so I can play my best at Grand Slams,” he said.
“I think, regardless of the fact that I haven’t won a Grand Slam this year, or last year, I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams.
“Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most. I’m just trying to make, I guess, the maximum out of what I have left.
“Again, I just got off the court, so of course, I’m upset and disappointed, mostly not for the loss, because obviously even if I was fit. I wasn’t a favourite to win against Sinner, I know that, but I think I had good chances if I was fit.”