Carlos Alcaraz had told media he can “hold his head high” despite his Wimbledon final defeat to Jannik Sinner on Sunday, claiming their rivalry will only get better.

Alcaraz’s bid for a third straight title at the All England Club ended with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 loss on Centre Court, leaving him to digest a first Grand Slam final defeat in his career, having previously won five from five.

This time it was world No 1 Sinner, the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title, who came from behind, in
three hours and four minutes – nearly two-and-a-half hours quicker than their French Open epic.

“It’s always a bad feeling losing matches. It’s a little bit worse when you lose in a final,” Alcaraz said at his post-match press conference.

“I’m just proud about everything I’ve done in the last four weeks on grass in London. I leave Wimbledon, the court, with my head held really high because I did everything I could.

“I played against someone who played an unbelievable game. So I’m just a little bit sad about losing, but with my head held really high.”

Following the retirements of tennis greats Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray in recent years, and with 38-year-old Novak Djokovic in the winter of his career, young duo Alcaraz and Sinner have shot to the top of the sport.

The two players have now lifted eight of the last nine Grand Slam titles, including seven in a row.

“Every time we play each other, I think our level is really high. We don’t see a level like this. I don’t see any player playing against each other having the level we’re playing when we face each other,” Alcaraz said.

“This rivalry, it’s becoming better and better. We’re playing in the finals of Grand Slams, finals of Masters and the best tournaments in the world. It’s going to get better.

“I’m just really grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to just give my 100 per cent every practice, every day, just to be better. The level that I have to maintain and I have to raise if I want to beat Jannik is really high.”

‘Sinner needed that win’

Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill admitted that while the Italian did not take any of his rivals for granted, he does pay extra attention to Alcaraz.

“Jannik watches more Carlos matches than he does anybody else because he’s fascinated with the improvements that are coming in his game, and he’s pushing us as coaches to make sure that he’s improving as a tennis player,” Cahill told media.

“Today was important not just because it was a Grand Slam final, not just because it was Wimbledon, and not just because Carlos had won the last five matches against him.

“He needed that win today. Today’s match I think was a match of moments, of just who was going to step up in the big moment and make something happen. At Roland-Garros it was Carlos, and today it was Jannik. So we could not be more proud of him.”

Sinner’s redemption

Sinner, who ended Alcaraz’s 24-match winning run across all events and 20-match streak at Wimbledon, was most pleased with ending his own run of five successive defeats against the Spaniard.

Only five weeks have passed since Alcaraz stunningly saved three match points in a French Open final fightback for the ages.

“I think this is the part I’m the proudest of because it really has not been easy,” said Sinner, who only returned to the tour in May after serving a three-month doping ban.

“I always tried to be honest with me and had the self-talk too, what if, what if? I always tried to accept it. Things can happen.

“I believe if you lose a Grand Slam final that way, it’s much better like this than someone kills you. Then after you keep going, keep pushing.

“I did a lot of intensity in every practice because I felt like I could play very good. That’s why I also said after Roland Garros that it’s not the time to put me down, because another Grand Slam is coming up, and I did great here.”

‘Champions learn from the losses’

Alcaraz expected Sinner to reset quickly and come at him again, with the Spaniard saying: “He didn’t surprise me at all. Champions learn from the losses.

“I knew at the beginning that he was going to learn from that final, not going to make the same mistakes. The way he played today, it was really, really high.”

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