Carlos Alcaraz has seen enough of Jannik Sinner to know exactly what he’s capable of—both as a competitor and as a resilient force in men’s tennis.
So when asked if he was surprised by Sinner’s quick turnaround from the disappointment of the Roland Garros final to becoming the 2025 Wimbledon champion, Alcaraz gave a definitive and respectful answer.
“Not at all. He didn’t surprise me at all. Because I know he’s a huge champion,” Alcaraz said after their thrilling Wimbledon final. “Champions learn from the… I’m not gonna say failures. But they learn from the losses.”
Just a few weeks earlier in Paris, Alcaraz had edged Sinner in an epic five-set final to claim his second Roland Garros title. Many wondered whether that defeat—one of the toughest of Sinner’s young career—would weigh heavily on the Italian heading into Wimbledon.
However, instead, Sinner used the loss as fuel, returning stronger and more composed to clinch his maiden title at the All England Club.
Alcaraz, who knows better than most what it takes to win on the biggest stages, recognized that mental bounce-back as a sign of Sinner’s elite mindset.
“I knew at the start that he was going to learn from that final. Not gonna make the same mistakes he did in the French Open final,” the Spaniard said. “The way he played today was really, really high, and I wasn’t surprised at all. I knew he was going to play like this.”
Their rivalry continues to evolve with each clash. Alcaraz had won their last three meetings, including that Roland Garros final. However, Jannik Sinner, now World No. 1, responded with tactical precision to turn the tide at Wimbledon, ending Alcaraz’s title defense and adding another chapter to their head-to-head.
“He didn’t surprise me at all because I know he’s a big champion,” Alcaraz repeated, underlining the mutual respect the two young stars share.
At just 22 and 23 years old, respectively, Alcaraz and Sinner have already faced each other in Grand Slam finals. And that’s precisely what has been the conerstone of their ever-growing on-court rivalry.