Carlos Alcaraz says for half the matches of the tennis season, players “don’t feel that good” as the Spaniard secured a tour-leading 50th victory of 2025 at the Cincinnati Open.
The 22-year-old cruised past Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in the third round to also claim his 13th consecutive Masters 1000 win.
Alcaraz is the first player since 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, from 2013 to 2016, to reach 50 wins in four consecutive seasons.
The world number two will face Italian Luca Nardi in the fourth round on Wednesday.
“You have to think positive and just play your best tennis possible that day,” said the five-time Grand Slam winner.
“I’m really happy that in really difficult matches I’m able to play my best tennis even though I’m not feeling the right way.
“I’m just happy and proud about it because it’s something I’m working on.”
Lucky loser Nardi, 22, led 16th seed Jakub Mensik 6-2 2-1 when the Czech retired from their third-round match.
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash considers how the future of men’s tennis could look after Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz to win the grass-court Grand Slam title.
Top seed Sinner defeats Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the final to win his first Wimbledon and fourth Grand Slam title.
Wimbledon, United Kingdom – It has taken Jannik Sinner just five weeks to exact revenge against Carlos Alcaraz in their blockbuster tennis rivalry and win the men’s singles final at Wimbledon 2025.
The top-seeded Italian overcame the emotional and physical toll of losing the French Open final to Alcaraz by defeating the Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London on Sunday.
Sinner turned the tables on the defending champion by overcoming a loss in the first set – and some early nerves – to win his fourth Grand Slam trophy and first on the famous Centre Court at SW19.
Two-time champion Alcaraz began the final with a strong service game, pouncing on Sinner’s nervous start in his first appearance in a Wimbledon final. The 22-year-old went on to break the world number one’s serve and wrap up the first set in 45 minutes, deploying a serve-and-volley style strategy to win the crucial points.
Sinner dug deep in the second set and was back to his ice-cool self as he applied the brakes on Alcaraz’s attempt for a three-peat of titles at Wimbledon.
The quality of tennis went up a notch as the 23-year-old matched Alcaraz shot for shot and left the crowd gasping at every other point.
Sinner didn’t waste much time in breaking back against the defending champion by deploying an excellent service game to keep Alcaraz at bay, altering his speed and delivery to ensure his opponent scurried for every point. He was soon on level terms.
The third set was, by far, the highlight of the final as both players threw everything at each other with sensational court coverage, scintillating aces, sublime drop shots and even a “tweener”.
It was end-to-end action up until the eighth game, when Alcaraz slipped up by the barest of margins but ended up having his serve broken. Sinner wasted no time to bring out his ruthless streak and finish off Alcaraz’s chances in the set.
Leading the final two sets to one, Sinner stepped on the gas in the fourth and ensured there would be no late Alcaraz comeback as so memorably occurred in the French Open final on June 8.
He broke Alcaraz in the third game, and the stoic Italian showed a glimpse of emotion as he looked towards his team in the stands.
Crowd favourite Alcaraz had most of the capacity crowd on Centre Court behind him, including King Felipe of Spain, but it was not enough to help him stay in the final for one more set as Sinner sealed the trophy with a faultless service game.
Jannik Sinner celebrates winning the men’s singles title at Wimbledon [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]
‘Dream of a dream’
With joy and disbelief etched on his face, and with the match now over, Sinner raised both arms with a jolt before squatting down on the court to pat the grass with the other hand, all the while hiding the emotions on his face.
Not only did he avenge his French Open final loss with a fourth major trophy, Sinner also moved to within one Grand Slam title of his great contemporary Alcaraz.
The two-time Australian Open champion has become the first man from Italy to win the Wimbledon title, a feat he described as akin to “a dream of a dream”.
“I had never thought of being in this position [to win Wimbledon] growing up so far away from here,” an unusually emotional Sinner said on court after the match.
“I had a very tough loss in Paris, but I tried to understand what I did wrong and kept working [hard].”
Sinner has now won Grand Slam titles on two of the three surfaces and said he was happy to have held his nerve while serving for the championship in the fourth set. Alcaraz, ever the gracious opponent in defeat as in victory, kept up his applause for Sinner even after returning to his chair after losing the match. But he said it was a difficult loss.
“I love playing here and I’m going to be back for sure,” the Spaniard told his fans on Centre Court.
Both players walked off to a loud round of applause after providing yet another enthralling glimpse into another “golden era” of tennis.
Sinner and Alcaraz have won all seven Grand Slam finals since the beginning of 2024, and it will only be a matter of eight weeks until tennis fans can hope to see the next instalment of their flourishing rivalry at the last Grand Slam of the year, the US Open.
Jannik Sinner, left, poses with the men’s singles trophy alongside Carlos Alcaraz with the runner-up trophy [Clive Brunskill/Getty Images]
LONDON — Jannik Sinner defeated two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon championship and reverse the result of their epic French Open final five weeks ago.
The No. 1-ranked Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title overall, moving him one away from No. 2 Alcaraz’s total as the two no-longer-rising-but-firmly-established stars of the game separate themselves from the rest of the pack in men’s tennis.
This victory also allowed Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, to put an end to several streaks for Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard.
Alcaraz had won the past five head-to-head matches between the pair, most recently across five sets and nearly 5 1/2 hours at Roland-Garros on June 8. Sinner took a two-set lead in that one, then held a trio of match points, but couldn’t close the deal, allowing Alcaraz to improve to 5-0 in major finals.
Jannik Sinner holds the trophy after winning the Wimbledon men’s singles final against Carlos Alcaraz in London Sunday.
(Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)
“I had a very tough loss in Paris. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you win or you lose the important tournaments. You just have to understand what you did wrong. Trying to work on that — that’s exactly what we did. We tried to accept the loss and then just kept working,” Sinner said Sunday. “And this is, for sure, why I’m holding this trophy here.”
This time, he didn’t waver, asserting himself in a match that featured moments of terrific play by both men, but also the occasional lapses — and one memorable, brief, interruption right before a Sinner serve when a Champagne cork came flying out of the stands and settled on the turf.
With Prince William and Princess Kate in the Royal Box, along with King Felipe VI of Spain, Alcaraz stepped into the sunlight bathing Centre Court as the owner of a career-best 24-match unbeaten run. He had won 20 matches in a row at the All England Club, including victories against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals.
“It’s difficult to lose,” Alcaraz said. “It’s always difficult to lose.”
The last man to beat him at Wimbledon? Sinner, in the fourth round in 2022.
So this served as a bookend win for Sinner, who proved what he kept telling anyone who asked: No, there would be no carryover from his heartbreak in Paris. Hard to imagine, though, that that collapse wasn’t on his mind at least a little on Sunday, especially when he faced two break points while serving at 4-3, 15-40 in the fourth set.
But he calmly took the next four points to hold there, and soon was serving out the win.
“Very happy that I [held] nerves,” Sinner said.
When it ended, Sinner put both hands on his white hat. After embracing Alcaraz at the net, Sinner crouched on court with his head bowed, then pounded his right palm on the grass.
Yes, Sinner put the French Open behind him in the best way possible and demonstrated that his matchups with Alcaraz could delight tennis fans for years to come.
“Really happy to be able to build a really good relationship off the court,” Alcaraz said, “but then a great rivalry on the court that makes me improve every day.”
Sinner told Alcaraz: “Thank you for the player you are. It’s so difficult to play against you.”
Jannik Sinner reacts after defeating Carlos Alcaraz to win the Wimbledon championship in London on Sunday.
(Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)
These two guys have divvied up the past seven Grand Slam trophies, and nine of the last 12.
Fittingly, this marked the first time the same two men faced off in the title matches on the clay at Roland-Garros and the grass at the All England Club in the same year since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did it in 2006, 2007 and 2008. It hadn’t happened for more than a half-century before that trilogy.
Sinner has participated in each of the last four major finals, a stretch that began with a triumph at the U.S. Open last September and was followed by another at the Australian Open this January.
Wearing the same tape job and white arm sleeve to protect his right elbow that he has been using since falling in the opening game of his fourth-round win on Monday, Sinner never showed any issues, just as he had not while eliminating 24-time major champion Djokovic in the semifinals.
Sinner, 23, and 22-year-old Alcaraz have created a duopoly in the men’s game over the past two seasons.
Because of his brilliance, Sinner has remained the world number one – despite serving a three-month doping ban this year in a case which rocked the sport.
The pair have gained a grip on the Grand Slam tournaments, winning the past six majors between them.
Their epic French Open battle was another demonstration of how the absorbing rivalry – which the ATP Tour has long pinned its hopes on filling the Federer-Nadal-Novak Djokovic void – could be a blockbuster for years to come.
“You cannot compare what the ‘Big Three’ did for 15-plus years. [Our rivalry] is not that big yet,” said three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, who is aiming for his first non-hard court major.
“This is the second consecutive Grand Slam that we are in the final and playing each other – I believe it’s good for the sport.
“The more rivalries we have from now on, the better it is, because people want to see young player going against each other.”
The quality, excitement and tension of the recent Roland Garros final accelerated interest in the pair.
Alcaraz fighting back from two sets down – and having saved three championship points – to win a five-setter in over five hours has whetted the appetite for Wimbledon.
The five-time major champion expects to be pushed “to the limit” again at the All England Club.
“It’s going to be a great day, a great final. I’m just excited about it,” he said.
“I just hope not to be five and a half hours again. But if I have to, I will.”
Wimbledon, United Kingdom – Expectations will run high, and so will the temperatures in southwest London, when Carlos Alcaraz steps on Centre Court to defend his Wimbledon title against Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
The next instalment of an enthralling rivalry between the top two players in men’s tennis will come under the limelight once again at one of the biggest stages in the game – the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – on a hot afternoon in the United Kingdom’s capital.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Alcaraz expects to be pushed to the limit by world number one Sinner in a meeting that has already drawn comparisons with the great Wimbledon finals of the modern era.
“I expect to be on the limit, to be on the line [in the final],” Alcaraz said while speaking to the media moments after Sinner’s near-faultless semifinal 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic on Friday.
A few hours earlier, the Spaniard had booked a spot in his third consecutive Wimbledon final with a resilient performance against Taylor Fritz, which brought him a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) win.
It will be the 13th on-court meeting between the two, and their second Grand Slam final in the space of five weeks.
Their duel in the French Open final lasted five hours and 29 minutes and added fuel to the fiery-yet-friendly rivalry between the young tennis stars.
Alcaraz knows his opponent all too well and expects nothing short of another spectacle.
“Whatever Jannik has is because he has learned from everything – he just gets better after every match, every day,” Alcaraz said of the top seed.
The Spaniard said he expected Sinner to be in better shape mentally and physically for the Wimbledon final, but that he was not looking forward to another hours-long match.
“I just hope not to be five and a half hours on court again. But if I have to, I will.”
Meanwhile, Sinner – the tall, stoic and speedy Italian who stands between Alcaraz and a chance to become only the fifth man to win three straight Wimbledon titles – believes beating the holder will be “very tough”.
“I’m very happy to share the court with Carlos once again. It’s going to be difficult, I know that,” Sinner said on Friday.
The Australian Open champion said he loves playing Grand Slam finals – Sunday’s will be his fifth in two years.
“I always try to put myself in these kinds of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special.”
The 23-year-old from northern Italy termed Alcaraz as the favourite, given his record at the tournament and on grass courts.
“He is the favourite. He won here the last two times. He’s again in the final. It’s very tough to beat him on grass, but I like these challenges.”
Alcaraz and Sinner after their epic French Open final [File: Susan Mullane/Imagn Images via Reuters]
‘Fire vs ice’
Out of the 12 occasions that both players have met, four have been at Grand Slams, but this is only their second meeting in the final.
The pair’s only other meeting at Wimbledon came in the fourth round in 2022, when Sinner won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3. Alcaraz, however, brushed aside the reference by saying that both men are changed players from what they were three years ago.
“We’re completely different players on grass and on all surfaces.”
The 22-year-old from Murcia, in southeastern Spain, will be buoyed by his 5-0 record against Sinner in the past two years.
Despite Alcaraz’s success against his nemesis, it is Sinner who has consistently topped the men’s rankings by racking up regular wins and points on the ATP circuit.
All things considered, there is not much that separates the two ahead of their highly anticipated match.
Just ask Djokovic.
While the 24-time Grand Slam champion picked Alcaraz due to his past success at Wimbledon, Djokovic predicted “a very close match-up, like they had in Paris” when asked to choose a winner.
“I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos because of the two titles he’s won here and the way he’s playing and the confidence he has right now, but it’s just a slight advantage, because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well.”
It is not just their contrasting styles of play – Sinner relies on his baseline game and shot speed, while Alcaraz likes to cover the court with his nimble footwork and excellent coverage – but also their on-court personalities that set the two apart while making them an engaging pair to watch.
Before the French Open final, Alcaraz said in an interview that a “fire vs ice” analogy fits them perfectly.
“I guess you can say I am like fire because of the way I react on court and show emotions, while Jannik remains calm,” the Spaniard said with his trademark smile.
Alcaraz is never shy of showing his emotions on court [File: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters]
In the shadow of the greats
For the fans, though, the pair offer another chance to pick sides and look forward to tennis tournaments that could pit the two against each other.
“It’s a dream final,” Catherine Shaw, a tennis fan who watched both the men’s semifinals on Centre Court, told Al Jazeera.
“They are the next big thing when it comes to tennis rivalries, so it’s exciting times for tennis fans.”
Stepping out in the shadows of some of the greatest players and rivals – Stefan Edberg vs Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe, Andre Agassi vs Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer – the young players will have big shoes to fill.
Both are aware of the weight their match-up carries but refuse to be compared with their heroes just yet.
“I think the things that we are doing right now are great for tennis,” Alcaraz said ahead of the final.
“We just fight to engage more people to watch tennis. We’re fighting for tennis to be bigger, as all the tennis players are doing.
“For me, it’s sharing the big tournaments with Jannik, or just playing in the finals of the tournaments… We’re still really young.
“I hope to keep doing the right things for the next five to 10 years, so our rivalry is on the same table as those players.”
Sinner and Alcaraz will meet again on the iconic Centre Court at Wimbledon after their meeting in 2022 [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Who: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner What: Wimbledon 2025 men’s singles final Where: Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom When: Sunday, July 13, starting at not before 4pm local (15:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm local (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
For Italy’s Jannik Sinner, Sunday’s Wimbledon final offers a chance of redemption; for Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, it is an opportunity to join an elite club of men who have won the title three years in succession.
There are many other plot lines, but above all, the showdown will help to cement a rivalry that could dominate tennis for a decade.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the final.
Who did Alcaraz and Sinner beat in their semifinals?
The Spaniard overcame American Taylor Fritz in a four-set win in the first semifinal on Friday.
The pair met in a mesmeric clash last month in the longest-ever French Open final. The match, which 22-year-old Alcaraz won at Roland-Garros, is being touted as one of the greatest of all time.
Between them, Alcaraz and Sinner, a year older than his Spanish opponent, have shared the last six Grand Slam titles.
What happened in the French Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner?
The Spaniard came back from two sets down and saved three match points on his way to a fifth Grand Slam title, in the process taking his head-to-head record over Sinner to 8-4, including winning all of the last four.
It was a painful defeat for world number one Sinner, but he has not had to wait long to try to set the record straight.
2 – Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are just the second pair in the Open Era to meet in the Men’s Singles final at Wimbledon and Roland Garros in a season, after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (2006-08). Rivalry. #Wimbledon | @Wimbledon@atptour@ATPMediaInfopic.twitter.com/NsfMc7Tw2Y
Sinner’s three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, two in Melbourne and one in New York.
What titles has Alcaraz won?
Alcaraz’s major titles have come on all the sport’s surfaces, suggesting a more complete game.
The Spaniard, who is on a 24-match winning streak, has claimed both the Wimbledon and French Open titles twice, while also lifting the winner’s trophy at the US Open.
What chance does Sinner have against Alcaraz on grass?
Sinner’s performances against Ben Shelton in the quarters and Djokovic in the semis show just how suited his game is to grass.
His laser-like ground strokes, powerful serve and his ability to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye were all on display, and Alcaraz knows he faces a challenge every bit as tough as Roland-Garros on Centre Court on Sunday.
Jannik Sinner of Italy in action against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men’s semifinal on day twelve at Wimbledon [File: Visionhaus via Getty Images]
Have Alcaraz and Sinner met on grass before?
The only other time they have met on grass was at Wimbledon in 2022 when Sinner won their last-16 clash in four sets.
Who else has won a Wimbledon three-peat?
Should Alcaraz prevail, he would join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic as the only men to win the Wimbledon title three years in a row, and he would also surpass Nadal’s two Wimbledon crowns.
How have Alcaraz and Sinner fared at Wimbledon 2025
Alcaraz flirted with a shock first-round defeat against Italian Fabio Fognini, needing five sets. Sinner trailed by two sets against Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round after hurting his elbow, but was given a reprieve when the Bulgarian retired injured.
Sinner, the third Italian to reach a Wimbledon singles final after Matteo Berrettini in 2021 and Jasmine Paolini last year, has looked unhindered by his elbow despite wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm in his last two matches.
“I think we are handling this small problem at the moment very well,” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain serves against Taylor Fritz of the United States during the men’s Singles semifinal on day 11 at Wimbledon [File: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
Stat attack – Alcaraz
Alcaraz, at 22 years 56 days, has become the third-youngest player in the Open Era to reach consecutive men’s singles finals at both Wimbledon and Roland Garros, after Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal (22 years 20 days).
Stat attack – Sinner
Only three players in the Open Era have conceded fewer games en route to a men’s singles final at Wimbledon than Sinner (56) – Roger Federer (52, 2006), Jimmy Connors (54, 1975) and John McEnroe (54, 1982).
How much will the Wimbledon men’s singles winner be paid?
This year’s winner will take home $4.05m, and the runner-up will leave with $2.05m. Last year’s prize was $3.64m.
What time does the men’s singles final start?
The start time for the final on Sunday will be fluid depending on the duration of matches earlier in the day.
The organisers, however, issued the advisory that the match will not start before 4pm at Wimbledon (15:00 GMT).
Jannik Sinner has crushed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals to set up the latest installment of his gripping rivalry with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.
The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match – and his first at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 demolition on Centre Court on Friday.
The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world number two Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month’s epic Roland-Garros final.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men’s tennis, claiming the past six majors between them.
Defeat on a baking Centre Court means seven-time champion Djokovic, who was apparently not 100 percent fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title.
It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017, and he has come up short in his bid to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.
“It’s a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television, and I would have never imagined that I can play here, you know in the finals, so it was amazing,” said Sinner.
“From my side, I served very well today. I felt great on court; I was moving really well today.
“We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured. He’s been in a very difficult situation, but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can.”
Italy’s Sinner was still wearing a white protective sleeve after injuring his elbow in a nasty fall during a fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov.
Djokovic also came into the contest, watched by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, with questions over his fitness after tumbling to the turf late in his quarterfinal victory against Flavio Cobolli.
Top seed Sinner broke Djokovic in the third game, unleashing a barrage of relentlessly accurate groundstrokes to wear the sixth seed down.
The Serb, 38, wilted under the onslaught in the ninth game as Sinner converted his third set point.
Sinner did not let up at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead to tighten his grip on the match.
Djokovic was struggling to gain a foothold but held for 3-1 to roars from the crowd, desperate to witness a classic battle.
Chants of “Nole” rang around the stadium as fans tried to lift Djokovic. But he was powerless to prevent Sinner from opening up a 5-2 lead.
He saved a set point on his own serve, but that merely delayed the inevitable as Sinner wrapped up the set with only 69 minutes on the clock.
Djokovic received treatment from the trainer between sets on the upper part of his left leg, apparently on the area he hurt in the match against Cobolli.
He broke for the first time in the match as he suddenly found a new gear, but was pegged back to 3-2 and roared in frustration at the changeover.
Novak Djokovic received medical treatment during a break in the semifinal [Henry Nicholls/AFP]
Struggling physically, Djokovic was broken again as Sinner sealed victory with his fourth match point.
Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his collapse in the Roland-Garros showpiece.
Now he has a chance for revenge against the man who has won the past two Wimbledon titles and is the current top dog on grass.
“It is a huge honour for me to share the court once again with Carlos,” he said. “We try to push ourselves to the limit. He is for sure one of the players I look up to.
“I love watching him. I think you all guys agree on that, what kind of talent he is. But hopefully, it’s going to be a good match like the last one.”
Sinner trails 8-4 in their head-to-head meetings, losing the past five matches.
The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival’s last defeat at the All England Club.
LONDON — Jannik Sinner overwhelmed a not-fully-fit Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday to set up a showdown for the championship against Carlos Alcaraz.
The No. 1-ranked Sinner’s victory at Centre Court put him in his first final at the All England Club.
No. 2 Alcaraz defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) earlier Friday to move within one victory of a third consecutive Wimbledon title.
Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, and Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard, now head into a rematch of their epic final at the French Open four weeks ago. Alcaraz won that one after fending off three match points.
“Hopefully it’s going to be a good match, like the last one,” Sinner said. “I don’t know if it’ll get better, because I don’t think it’s possible.”
Alcaraz is 5-0in Grand Slam title matches. Sinner owns three major trophies.
They are far and away the leaders of men’s tennis — and are at the height of their games right now. This will be the seventh straight major tournament won by one of them.
“The things we are doing right now are great for tennis,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz takes a career-best 24-match winning streak into Sunday. Sinner will be participating in his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final, after winning the U.S. Open last September and the Australian Open in January, before his heartbreaking defeat in Paris after wasting a two-set lead.
For the 38-year-old Djokovic, his lopsided loss brought an end to his latest bid for an eighth Wimbledon title — which would tie the men’s mark held by Roger Federer — and for an unprecedented 25th major trophy.
Djokovic was diminished two days after slipping and doing the splits on what he called a “nasty” and “awkward” fall in the last game of his quarterfinal victory. He canceled a practice session Thursday, had his upper left leg checked by a trainer during a medical timeout after the second set against Sinner and was simply unable to move the way the world is so used to seeing.
Right after that treatment, Djokovic grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third set and was a point from going up 4-0. But Sinner took six of the remaining seven games.
“We all saw, especially in the third set, that he was a bit injured,” Sinner said. “He’s been in a very difficult situation.”
When it ended, Djokovic picked up his equipment bags and was given a standing ovation as he headed toward the locker room. He paused to smile, wave and give a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Djokovic exited in the semifinals at all three Slams this season, including quitting after a set against Alexander Zverev because of an injured hamstring at the Australian Open.
There was more intrigue in Friday’s first semifinal, particularly when Fritz led 6-4 in the fourth-set tiebreake with two chances to force things to a fifth. But Alcaraz collected the next four points by forcing mistakes by Fritz to finish off the win, then rocked back on his heels, spread his arms wide and screamed.
“I’m just really proud about the way that I stayed calm,” Alcaraz said, “and (was) thinking clearly.”
With five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg and celebrities such as Anna Wintour and Leonardo DiCaprio looking on, Alcaraz marked some of his best shots with a shout of “Vamos!” or a raised index finger.
“A lot of the things that I would have changed, I think would have only helped me for a point or two, and then I think Carlos would have just made an adjustment,” said the fifth-seeded Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner at the U.S. Open, “and I don’t think it would have been a long-term answer.”
The temperature topped 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with no clouds interrupting the blue sky overhead to offer protection from the sun. For the second consecutive day, spectators had trouble in the heat; there were two brief delays in one second-set game while fans needed to be helped.
As everyone paying attention — including Sinner — knows by now, Alcaraz is not just any foe.
“He has so many different ways to win,” Fritz said, “and he’s very good at making adjustments.”
Defeat here for Djokovic calls into question whether he will ever achieve that elusive 25th major title.
Having ended Sinner’s last two Wimbledon runs – in the quarter-final last year and semis the year before – this time the shoe was on the other foot with the Italian in imperious form.
His game has often been compared to that of Djokovic and nowhere was that more evident than here as Sinner’s remarkable movement, consistency from the baseline and impeccable serving completely overawed the Serb.
The opening set passed by in a blur as Sinner served superbly with no sign of trouble from his elbow injury, picked up in the last 16 against Grigor Dimitrov.
Djokovic clung on in a tight game at 5-3, having gone down an early break, but Sinner was too good for him in the rallies – chasing down drop shots and anticipating his next move – and cruised to a one-set lead.
An early break of serve followed in the second set and a tense crowd, so used to seeing triumph after triumph from Djokovic, sensed he was in trouble.
Every point won off Sinner’s serve was celebrated enthusiastically, but they were few and far between as Djokovic created no break points in the opening two sets.
He called a medical timeout after losing the second, perhaps still struggling after a nasty slip at the end of his last-eight match against Flavio Cobolli.
Djokovic threatened a comeback in the third set, pouncing on a loose service game from Sinner to hand himself some momentum in the match.
But hopes of that were soon extinguished when Sinner rediscovered his serve to save double-break points then broke back when Djokovic’s drop shot fell back on his side of the net.
Sinner then showed incredible mental resilience by putting any potential threat of a repeat of the French Open final to bed when he broke again then impressively held serve on a five-game winning streak.
Djokovic did what he had to do and saved two match points on his own serve to force Sinner to serve it out, which he did at the second opportunity.
There was a huge round of applause for Djokovic as he left Centre Court and he raised a hand to all four corners – undoubtedly leaving many wondering how many more times he will be seen here.
Taylor Fritz thought the motivational note he wrote to himself after losing at Wimbledon four years ago would stay private. His girlfriend, influencer Morgan Riddle, later shared it on social media.
“That note was never supposed to be public,” a smiling Fritz said after his 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) win over Karen Khachanov set up a semifinal meeting with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Fritz had written to himself in the note that “nobody in the whole world is underachieving harder than you” and urged himself to get his act together.
Not only does Fritz forgive Riddle, he also credits her for having such a big impact on him rising to No. 5 in the world rankings in pursuit of his first Grand Slam title.
“There’s been a pretty constant results-and-ranking rise since we’ve been together,” Fritz said. “I think I would have to say she’s been a big help to me just kind of keeping me focused, having someone who cares and just pushes you to just do better and do the right things, be healthier.
“Almost like kind of just mother me in a way,” he added, chuckling to himself, “with like, the diet and going to sleep on time.”
A smiling Fritz later added: “Yeah, that maybe wasn’t the best choice of words.”
The 27-year-old American, who was the runner-up at last year’s U.S. Open, didn’t face a break point in the first two sets against No. 17 Khachanov, who rebounded in the third set. It was 4-all in the fourth-set tiebreaker before Fritz claimed the final three points on Court No. 1.
It’s the first time Fritz has reached the last four at Wimbledon. He’s won two grass-court titles this season — Stuttgart and Eastbourne — and was happy he wouldn’t be facing Alcaraz on clay, which would be “an absolute nightmare.”
“Grass is very much so an equalizer. It can be an equalizer. So trust in how I’m playing,” he said. “I truly know the way that I played the first two sets today, there’s not much any opponent on the other side can do.”
Alcaraz: Golf first, then Fritz
The second-seeded Alcaraz is within sight of a Wimbledon three-peat. He extended his winning streak to 23 matches this season by beating Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on Centre Court.
Alcaraz, who has beaten Novak Djokovic in the past two finals at the All England Club, faced only five break points and saved all of them.
He wants to hit some other greens, though, before he faces Fritz
“For sure I’m going to play some golf, just to switch up my mind a little bit,” Alcaraz said
The 22-year-old Spaniard has been playing golf with Andy Murray during his Wimbledon run.
This time, his opponent could be actor Tom Holland, whom he had run into earlier.
“I would love to play against him in the golf course. For me it would be such an honor. I will try to set it up in these two days that I will have much time to do it. So let’s see if he will be available, and we’ll tee it up.”
BBC Sport pundit Tim Henman believes Carlos Alcaraz “looks comfortable on any surface, against any opponent” after the defending champion sees off Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon 2025.
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz produced a Wimbledon masterclass to end British hope Cameron Norrie’s run and move into the semi-finals once again.
Second seed Alcaraz underlined why he is the tournament favourite with a scintillating 6-2 6-3 6-3 win.
The Spaniard will face Taylor Fritz – the American fifth seed bidding for a first major title – in the last four.
Fritz secured his place in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4) victory over Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
Alcaraz is seeded behind Italian rival Jannik Sinner because of their respective world rankings, but his superior record on grass courts – and current hot streak – makes him the man to beat.
Victory over Norrie was a 23rd win in a row for Alcaraz, who is bidding to become the fifth man to win three successive Wimbledon titles in the Open era.
“I’m really happy – to play another Wimbledon semi-final is super special,” said Alcaraz, who secured victory in one hour and 39 minutes.
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz produced an impressive fightback to overcome Andrey Rublev and set up a Wimbledon quarter-final against Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
Alcaraz edged a step closer to becoming only the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles with a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over the Russian 14th seed under the Centre Court roof.
The 22-year-old Spaniard clinched his only break point in both the second and third sets to turn the match around, before a single break of serve again proved enough to end Rublev’s admirable resistance in the fourth.
Alcaraz will face Norrie for a semi-final place after the British number three withstood a fightback from Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry to win in five sets.
Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and the end of London’s tropical heatwave have ensured that a sense of normality has returned to the lawns of Wimbledon on day three of the tournament after two sweat-soaked days of shocks.
A stream of big names – including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev – have crashed and burned in the oven-like temperatures of the first round.
So when Alcaraz walked onto Centre Court on Wednesday in his quest for a third successive title against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, the thought surely lurked somewhere in his mind that he could be the fall guy in the tournament’s greatest upset.
The 21-year-old second seed was not at his best, but after saving three break points in a nervy opening service game against a college student ranked 733rd in the world, he asserted his authority to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Tarvet in action against Alcaraz in the second round [Tim Clayton/Getty Images]
Sabalenka tops Bouzkova
Earlier on Centre Court, the women’s top seed, Sabalenka, battled to a 7-6(4), 6-4 win against Czech Marie Bouzkova.
“Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament in both draws, women’s and men’s,” Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title, said.
“Honestly, I’m just trying to focus on myself.”
Australian Open champion Madison Keys, the sixth seed, also made it safely into round three, beating Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2 while unseeded four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during day three of the Wimbledon Championships [Marleen Fouchier/BSR Agency via Getty Images]
Lower temperatures did not mean an end to the surprises entirely, though, as American world number 12 Frances Tiafoe became the 14th of the 32 men’s seeds to depart, going down 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 to Cameron Norrie, one of seven British players in second-round singles action on day three.
Sonay Kartal led the home charge by beating Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-2 to book her place in the last 32 for the second year in succession.
There was disappointment, though, for Britain’s Katie Boulter, who served 14 double faults as she went down 6-7(9), 6-2, 6-1 to 101st-ranked Solana Sierra, the Argentinian who lost in qualifying but has seized her lucky loser spot with both hands.
Alcaraz congratulates Tarvet
Alcaraz, bidding to do the French Open-Wimbledon double for the second successive year, needed five sets to get past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the first round and set up an intriguing clash with Tarvet.
Tarvet, who plays on the United States collegiate circuit for the University of San Diego, said he believed he could beat anyone, even Alcaraz, after winning his Grand Slam debut match against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi of Switzerland on Monday.
He was clearly not overawed at sharing a court with a five-time Grand Slam champion, and had he taken any of the eight break points he earned in the first set, it could have been closer.
Tarvet, left, at the net with Alcaraz on July 2, 2025 in London, England [Peter van den Berg/ISI Photos via Getty Images]
Alcaraz proved to be the better player on Wednesday, though, as he moved through the gears when required to keep an eager Tarvet under control.
Just as the Spaniard did in his first round when going to the aid of a female spectator suffering in the heat, Alcaraz again endeared himself to the Centre Court crowd.
“First of all, I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver. It’s his second match on the tour. I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played,” Alcaraz said.
Play on the courts without roofs was delayed for two hours by light morning rain, but once the clouds rolled away, the place to be for those without show-court tickets was Court 12 for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca’s second-round match against American Jenson Brooksby.
The 18-year-old is widely tipped as a future challenger to Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and he showed exactly why during a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win that was celebrated by a large contingent of exuberant Brazilians.
Raducanu sets up Sabalenka tie
Facing a rival who has already experienced the joys of winning Wimbledon did not faze Emma Raducanu as the Briton rode out the “crazy pressure” heaped on her slender shoulders to defeat Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3 in the second round.
In a battle between two Grand Slam champions, both unseeded after years of trials and tribulations, Czech Vondrousova would have fancied her chances of knocking out Britain’s big hope.
After all, the 2023 champion had arrived at the All England Club fresh from winning the grass-court title in Berlin with victories over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world number one Sabalenka en route.
However, it was Raducanu whose game sparkled on Centre Court as she produced the kind of carefree, yet potent shots that had carried her to the US Open title in 2021.
“Today I played really, really well. There were some points that I have no idea how I turned around,” a delighted Raducanu told the crowd.
“I knew playing Marketa was going to be an incredibly difficult match. She has won this tournament, which is a huge achievement. I’m really pleased with how I played my game the whole way through.”
Emma Raducanu of Britain runs up the court against Marketa Vondrousova of Czechia during their women’s singles second round match [Peter van den Berg/ISI Photos via Getty Images]
An eye-popping running backhand passing shot winner handed her the break for a 4-2 lead in the first set.
Although a sloppy service game gave Vondrousova the break back in the next game, the British number one wasted little time in regaining the advantage for a 5-3 lead after a forehand error from the Czech.
Moments later, thundering roars from the Centre Court crowd could be heard around the All England Club and beyond as Vondrousova surrendered the set with yet another miscued forehand.
Clearly unsettled, the errors started piling up for Vondrousova, who had previously admitted that she did not envy the “crazy pressure” Raducanu had to deal with day in and day out after becoming the first British woman to win a major in 44 years.
Yet another forehand slapped long by Vondrousova handed Raducanu a break for 2-1, and from then on, there was no stopping the Briton. She sealed a third-round meeting with Sabalenka after her opponent swiped a backhand wide.
If you’re just hearing about the British underdog who has caught Wimbledon’s imagination, then there’s one thing he would like you to know – he’s Ollie, not Oliver, Tarvet.
“I usually only get called Oliver when my mum is annoyed at me. So you know, I try to avoid it at all costs,” the 21-year-old said.
He added that when he heard “Oliver” being shouted from the stands of court four during his first-round victory on Monday, it made him think he had “done something wrong”.
The fans could be forgiven for not knowing – after all, he is the world number 733 making his Grand Slam debut.
But he is quickly carving a name for himself and is unfazed by what lies ahead in the second round – namely, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court on Wednesday in front of 15,000 fans.
Should the US college student win, it would mark the biggest upset in Wimbledon history. But he is not ruling out his chances, choosing to see it as an opportunity not an experience.
“I don’t really like the word ‘experience’ because I feel like then you’re just there to almost just spectate; you don’t really have the expectation to win,” he told BBC Sport.
“And, obviously, I’m not saying that I expect to win. But at the same time I feel like I’ve been quietly confident this whole tournament and it’s got me to where I am.
“A big thing for me is just playing the ball, not the player.”
For his father Garry, it is a moment he can scarcely believe.
“What a mouth-watering prospect,” he said.
“A week of qualifying, a round one win. And this is just too much. It is going to be fun because Ollie has played in front of big crowds – 700 or 800, maybe 1,000. To go in front of 15,000, that is quite a step up, isn’t it?”
Carlos Alcaraz leads the Centre Court crowd in a round of applause for Fabio Fognini on his last appearance at Wimbledon, after the Italian was beaten 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 2-6 6-1 by the reigning champion.
Fabio Fognini gets the better of Carlos Alcaraz after a lengthy 18-shot rally, earning a break point against the reigning Wimbledon champion as David Beckham watches on.
