We Don’t See A Level Like This

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, July 13, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

The world’s top two players share a major mission—and their rivalry will produce more massive moments, Carlos Alcaraz said.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner dethroned two-time champion Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to make history as the first Italian to capture a Wimbledon singles crown today.

Afterward, Alcaraz praised Sinner for an “unbelievable” performance.

The second-ranked Spaniard, who suffered his first major final loss after going 5-0 in his five prior Slam finals, says this Wimbledon showdown is only the beginning.

Alcaraz said the rivalry between the pair is unprecedented on the ATP Tour, they’ve combined to collect seven straight Grand Slam championships, and will only get stronger as they square off in more finals.

“First of all, I [am] just really, really happy about having this rivalry with him. I think it’s great for us, and it is great for the tennis,” Alcaraz said after seeing his 20-match Wimbledon winning streak snapped. “Every time we playing against each other, I think our level is really high.

“I think we don’t watch a level like this, if I’m honest with you. I don’t see any player playing against each other, you know, having the level that we are playing when we face each other.

“I think, as I said many, many times, this rivalry, it’s coming better and better. We’re building really great rivalry because we’re playing final of a Grand Slam, final of Master mills, the best tournament in the world. It’s going to be better and better.”

The pair produced transcendent tennis with Alcaraz saving three championship points to prevail in record-setting five hour, 29-minute Roland Garros final last month.

The 22-year-old Spaniard said Sinner’s ultra-high level of play did not surprise him.

Alcaraz said ultimately the key to the match was Sinner’s superior second serve—and the fact the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion repeatedly attacked Alcaraz’s second serve sometimes ripping backhand strikes down the line.

Overall, Sinner served a higher percentage—62 percent to 53 percent), won 49 percent of second-serve points played on the Spaniard’s second serve and flipped the script on the superior net player. Sinner won 30 of 40 trips to net, compared to 17 of 23 net points for Alcaraz.

“The way he played today, it was really, really high. I didn’t surprise at all,” Alcaraz said. “I knew he was going to play like this. So it was about some details.

Yeah, I mean, overall he didn’t surprise me at all because I know he’s a big champion…

“I think the big key was about the second serve. He was returning really well there the second serve that I was hitting. Thanks to that, he was in the position to attack in the second ball every time. So it was really difficult when you are feeling that you just defending all the time and running from side to side all the time.”

Reflecting on his first major final loss, Alcaraz said he’s “grateful” to Sinner because the No. 1 will force the No. 2 to improve his game.

“Just really grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to just give my 100% every practice, every day,” said Alcaraz, who leads the rivalry 8-5 after Sinner snapped a five-match losing streak vs. the Spaniard. “Just to be better, thanks to that. The level that I have to maintain and I have to raise if I want to beat Jannik is really high.

“So I just really grateful for that.”