Jannik Sinner has claimed a maiden Wimbledon title after beating Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
Sinner came through the draw to snatch the title away from Alcaraz, with the Spaniard emerging victorious during the last two years.
Alcaraz thanked Sinner for a great match after the Centre Court contest and the Italian has gained some retribution for his heartbreaking defeat to the world number two at the French Open.
Sinner will look back at one sliding doors moment during Wimbledon, however, and he is now the first man to win the title despite being awarded a match when losing by two sets to love.
Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty ImagesWhat Darren Cahill said to Jannik Sinner after last 16 win at Wimbledon
A penny for the thoughts of Grigor Dimitrov after yesterday’s final.
The Bulgarian performer was the player leading by two sets to love against Sinner in the last 16 when he tore his pectoral muscle during a routine serve.
He received treatment but then came back onto the court to shake the hand of Sinner and forfeit the match despite being on the cusp of a quarter-final berth.
Sinner’s coach, Cahill, has now shared what he told his man after that match as he managed to regroup and go again to claim a maiden Wimbledon title.
He said in his press conference: “”It was a big challenge for us, actually, because he definitely had a little luck. But he was starting to get into the match. In best-of-five matches, you never know what can happen. In the box, we still had a lot of confidence that he’d be able to get out of that situation, and we felt he was starting to play the way we wanted. But anything can happen on grass. If Grigor had continued to play at that level, then yes, he would have had a good chance of closing out the match.
“But we in the box always had confidence that he’d be able to get out of that match. But yes, he had a little luck. We kept telling him that in Grand Slam tournaments, in men’s tennis, they’re seven matches, best-of-five sets. No one advances in a tournament like that without a few setbacks, whether it’s an injury, a bit of luck, or overcoming an issue in the early rounds. Every player has their own story in a Grand Slam. Maybe this would have been his.
“So we took it as it came, put it aside, and his main task was to focus on his next opponent. If you beat the next opponent, then you moved on and enjoyed the tournament. He did that.
“It’s the same way he dealt with his defeat at Roland Garros. He understood the reason for that defeat, he understood that he had played an incredible match at Roland Garros, but he was defeated in the end by a stronger player. He had never played a better clay-court match than the one he played there. So he knew he was improving as a tennis player, and he was able to put it aside and focus on the next day. That’s a pretty rare quality. A great effort on Jannik’s part.”
Sinner deserves his Wimbledon moment
After dropping the first set on Sunday, the final proved nothing more than a masterclass from Sinner’s perspective and he just never let Alcaraz settle.
He managed to find breaks of serve at key points in all three sets, which he won, and showcased exactly why he’s the world’s best player.
Sinner is good for the game of tennis and it’s healthy that the pair have struck up this rivalry that looks set to rumble on for many years to come.
Cahill is set to bow out of coaching at the end of the year, and surely that makes Sinner the overwhelming favourite to retain his US Open crown in August.