London, July 14 (IANS) Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden Wimbledon title on Sunday, defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in a high-octane final to become the first Italian man to lift the singles trophy at The Championships

Just five weeks after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final — where he squandered three championship points — Sinner responded with clinical composure on Centre Court. The 23-year-old World No. 1 flipped the narrative, ending Alcaraz’s perfect 5-0 record in major finals and halting a five-match losing streak against the Spaniard.

Sinner’s victory came after three hours and four minutes of gripping tennis, where he imposed his aggressive baseline game and served with authority. After dropping the first set, the Italian broke Alcaraz early in each of the next three sets, tightening his grip as the match wore on. His relentless hitting, especially into Alcaraz’s forehand, paid dividends as the Spaniard’s level dipped as per ATP.

With the win, Sinner secures his fourth Grand Slam title, now only missing Roland Garros to complete the career Grand Slam. He also leaves London with a commanding 3,430-point lead in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The road to the final wasn’t without challenges. Sinner equalled the Open Era record for fewest games lost through three rounds, but needed an MRI after a fourth-round scare, when opponent Grigor Dimitrov retired with a pectoral injury while leading two sets to love. From there, Sinner stormed past Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic to reach his fifth major final.

In Sunday’s final moments, Sinner didn’t blink. He converted his first match point and raised his arms in triumph as Centre Court roared in approval. Alcaraz, who was aiming to become only the second man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in consecutive years, fell short despite entering with a 48-5 season record.

The rivalry between the two young phenoms is now tied with both men splitting the past seven majors

–IANS

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