Sinner it is at Wimbledon!
Finally, Jannik Sinner made it! The Italian who showed the world how a big match can slip off from a championship point, not once but three times, which was what happened at the French Open a month ago, Sinner this time doused the enthusiasm of his arch rival Carlos Alcaraz in relatively easier way over four sets for his maiden triumph on grass. The win, his first at Wimbledon while denying Alcaraz the history-making three in a row in this Grand Slam event, in a way levelled the fierce rivalry between these two new Generation players. Indeed, the world of tennis today looks at these two as the next big happening in the sport after the reign of the big three Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
True, the veteran Serb Djokovic is still there. At 38 he is clearly not at his best but not a wee bit has the fire in his belly gone down to make critics write him off easily. Not since the US Open in 2023 has he won a Grand Slam and that meant, his wait for the magic ‘25’ Grand Slam titles never attained by anybody still remains a distant dream that refuses to leave him. For one who had gone past one opponent after another in collecting titles, Djokovic now faces the biggest rival of all _time_ and that can be unsettling as he has slowly begun to realise. The Serb may not match the energy level of the current day players but few can match his work ethic and steely resolve. He is a legend who will not leave the stage quietly.
If nothing, Djokovic still has that big dream to realise. Probably that is why he insisted after his defeat to Sinner in the semi-final that he would be back at Wimbledon again next year! After all he stands just title away from Federer’s open era record of eight Wimbledon crowns. To shine in the home of tennis is any player’s ambition even if few get to achieve the feat. Then again Djokovic one must remember already holds the record of winning the most Australian Open titles, with ten to his name. So there is much more that this 38 year-old looks forward to for, no man of his age has won a Grand slam singles title since Ken Rosewell last lifted the Australian Open trophy in 1972 when he was little over 37 years! But then on the two occasions if it was Alcaraz who stopped him in the final, this time, Sinner showed him the exit a step earlier, in the semi-final. That is the reality but Djokovic being what he is, only time will tell what his final script will be.
For the moment, this much is clear. Talk of men’s tennis and it has to be Sinner or Alcaraz. The top two ranked players and how fitting that they should end up in the final clash of the Wimbledon 2025. World tennis may miss the aura of the big three but then change is the essence of progress. Looking ahead, it will be the extended battle for supremacy of these two players in the twenties that will be the talking point when the subject is on the excellence in the sport. It is incredible how tennis throws up new talents from time to time and the way they rise to become all-time greats. When Pete Sampras bowed out around the start of the New Millennium with a record 14 Grand Slam titles few would have believed that this would be scaled one day. Then came the Swiss genius Federer to charm the lovers of the sport. Before long came the Spanish delight Nadal to share the honours in his own way. And then entered Djokovic to become the threesome who jointly redefined the term greatness in tennis.
It is time for the Italian and the Spaniard to stretch that halo of supremacy to a new level. They have already shown their capabilities in clear fashion. Mention French Open and every tennis lover would vouch they had never seen such a nail biting finish as the two did in a long long time. That there was very little to separate the two was incredibly clear on that clay courts in Paris where Alcaraz came back and plucked a win from the jaws of defeat, so to say. The Wimbledon final may not have gone that long or close but there were enough signs of each player taking turns to grab the upper hand. That Sinner had the final say is testimony to his growing confidence and sharpness. Suffice to state the two are sure to pile up more Grand Slams in the coming days. The two have already won the last seven Grand Slam between themselves. As for their personal tally, Alcacaz leads with five Grand Slams and Sinner four.
While the men have been cornering all the attention, it must be mentioned that the rise of Iga Swiatek has been nothing short of impressive. Her maiden success at Wimbledon made her the youngest player since Serena Williams to win a major on all three surfaces _ grass, clay and hard). Just 24 years old, this Polish talent has the potential to stretch her dominance and women’s tennis needs this to break the current phase of unpredictability at the top level.