Tennis: “For Eternity” – Sinner’s threat to the competition

Jannik Sinner had to laugh. At the end of a perfect day, the Wimbledon triumphant still had a problem with the traditional Champions Dinner. He danced “very bad”, the Italian reported grinning. “But to be honest, I don’t care. I’m sure, I also find a solution there.”

In the black suit, Sinner led women’s winner Iga Swiatek in a five-star hotel near the Thames over the dance floor and at least seemed to have fun. However, the South Tyrolean feels much safer on the tennis court, as its impressive final victory over Carlos Alcaraz proved. Then he spoke a sentence that should listen to the competition like a threat: “I don’t think I’m already at my climax, because at 23 you cannot be in its best form.”

At home he is celebrated as “his Majesty Sinner” (“Gazzetta dello Sport”). The South Tyrolean and Alcaraz have already hurried to the competition for miles. The duo has identified all last seven Grand Slam titles since the beginning of the 2024 season.

“I’m really happy about the rivalry,” said the inferior Spaniard. “It’s great for us, great for tennis. Whenever we play against each other, the level is very high. I see no other players who are at this level as if we play against each other.”

A rivalry as a “gift for sport”

A hard truth. For the 38-year-old Novak Djokovic, who has nothing to do in the crucial tournament phases on the hunt for Grand Slam title number 25. For Alexander Zverev (28), each of whom has lost a grand finale around his first major title against both.

“The Alcaraz-Sinner rivality is for eternity,” Espn wrote. “Your growing rivalry is a gift for sport,” congratulated the Australian legend Rod Laver, who himself won eleven Grand Slam titles.

After the final at the classic lawyer, both opponents asserted that the idea of each other also drifted them at top performance in training. “It motivates that there is someone who is young who gains practically everything,” said Sinner about Alcaraz. “You have to be ready if you want to keep up.”

Compare the “golden age” in tennis

Will the duel of Sinner and Alcaraz shape the men’s tennis as long and intensely as the era of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal? It is difficult to compare the rivalry with the “golden age”, said Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill. “The boys have a long way to go, but they started incredibly. I keep my fingers crossed that they will still have great 10 years with a few great matches.”

Already the epic final at the French Open over five and a half hours when Sinner awarded three match balls, has taken a prominent place in the tennis history books. This game had difficult and driven the world ranking list. “You often need defeats so that you estimate it even more,” he said. “If everything looks too normal, you start not appreciating it anymore.”

Sinner over his year: “not easy”

So the first title has been like a liberation since the end of his three -month doping lock. “It was not easy all year round,” said Sinner after the triumph. “It feels emotionally because only the people who are close to me and I know what I went through on and off the square and that was anything but easy.”

Sinner did not go into detail. His coach gave a little more insight into the world of thought, reported that they had no longer talked about the devastating defeat within 24 hours after the Paris final. The Australian has a large part in the rise of his protégé, since mid-2022 he has led Sinner to number 1 in the world and four Grand slam titles.

Cahill actually wants to retire at the end of this season. But the Wimbledon victory could now have postponed the retirement of the former professional – by a curious agreement.

“We had a bet before the final. He told me that if I win tomorrow, I can choose whether it will stay or not. That is my decision,” said Sinner. “I always looked for an honest person who gives me a lot, not only on the tennis court, but also outside, how to live. He is great.”

If the successful cooperation now exists, Boris Becker’s forecast could be fulfilled after the Wimbledon victory. If you could beat Sinner, the German legend was asked as an expert at Sky Italia. The 57-year-old said that he was mentally ahead of everyone else at Constance. “He is Jannik Sinner’s biggest opponent.”