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Are we that surprised? For the second straight Grand Slam, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will square off in a final, and this time on the most iconic stage in tennis: Centre Court at Wimbledon. While Alcaraz is the two-time defending Wimbledon champion, this will mark Sinner’s first appearance in a Wimbledon final. The 22-year-old Spaniard has won five Grand Slam titles already, while the 23-year-old Italian arrives with three to his name.
This rivalry, though still in its early years, has defined the new era of men’s tennis. They are the best two players in the world: world No. 1 (Sinner) vs. world No. 2 (Alcaraz). The last time they met, at the 2025 French Open Final, they delivered one of the greatest matches in tennis history, a five-hour and 29-minute masterpiece that ended in a fifth-set tiebreak win for Alcaraz. Will Sunday’s championship match on grass give us another classic?
The answer is yes.
Alcaraz was tested by #5 Taylor Fritz in a thrilling four-set semifinal that showed why the Spaniard is arguably the most electric player in the world. After securing a quick break to open the first set and cruising to a 6-4 finish, Alcaraz hit a dip in form during the second. Fritz, using a red-hot backhand and renewed aggression on return, broke through and took the set 7-5.
Fritz finally started winning points off the Alcaraz first serve, after losing the first 20 of them, and created real pressure. But, true to his champion DNA, Alcaraz adjusted quickly in the third set, mixing in massive 120+ mph second serves with deft kickers that left Fritz guessing. He executed a perfect drop shot-lob combo to break early and held serve, eventually taking the set 6-3.
In the fourth, Fritz rebounded well and pushed the match to a tiebreak, even holding two set points to force a decider. But Alcaraz responded like only he can, saving one of those chances with a defensive scramble that turned into an offensive missile. At 6-6 in the breaker, Alcaraz clipped the baseline with a backhand that forced Fritz to float a return long, clinching his spot in a third straight Wimbledon final.
The win extended Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win streak to 20 matches and his overall streak to 24.
Jannik Sinner’s semifinal was much less complicated, and that may be just what he needed heading into Sunday’s final. The world No. 1 made short work of Novak Djokovic, dominating the 38-year-old legend 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to punch his ticket to a first-ever Wimbledon final.
Sinner’s power off both wings, precision serving and baseline command were on full display. His last two matches have both been straight-set wins, having also defeated Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals. But the real turning point in his tournament came in the Round of 16, when he was two sets down against Grigor Dimitrov before the Bulgarian suffered a match-ending pec injury. Sinner knows he didn’t deserve to win that day, but ever since, he’s looked like a player completely locked in, and he’s playing with house money.
He’s now appeared in four straight Slam finals (2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open, 2025 French Open and now Wimbledon), and while Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 8-4 and has won five straight meetings, Sinner has beaten Alcaraz at Wimbledon, a four-set win back in 2022.
Alcaraz vs. Sinner is becoming what Federer vs. Nadal was: a generational clash of styles and elite-level shotmaking.
Alcaraz has never lost a Grand Slam final (5-0), and he’s constantly evolving. His improved serve has been the most significant development in his 2025 season, particularly on grass. Against Fritz, he won 88% of his first-serve points and hit 13 aces.
Sinner, meanwhile, has been pristine since his Round of 16 scare. He hasn’t dropped a set since and dismantled Djokovic. His movement, discipline and baseline command make him one of the toughest outs in the sport. The one thing he hasn’t figured out, yet, is Alcaraz.
But Sunday might be different. Sinner shook off a devastating French Open final loss and has rebounded by reaching his first Wimbledon final. He has nothing to lose, while Alcaraz carries the pressure of defending his crown, protecting his streaks and facing the only player capable of matching him stroke-for-stroke right now. If Sinner can bring the same calm and confidence he showed in the semis, and if he continues serving like he has, he may finally flip the script.
I like Sinner to pull off the small upset and win in five sets.
Everything points to an extremely close contest. Sinner scored more total points than Alcaraz in their five-set French Open battle (193-192), and I like him to hit that mark again on Sunday, regardless of the outcome.
Zach has been a published sports writer since 2018 specializing in college football & basketball, MLB and NFL content for multiple publications.