Bill Simons
Wimbledon
We love rivalries. They bring spice.
The Hatfields vs. those nasty McCoys, Coke vs. Pepsi, Bird vs. Magic, Arnie vs. Jack, Ali vs. Frazier – what’s not to like?
And tennis has been built on rivalries. The 80 matches between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova formed the foundation of modern women’s tennis – full stop.
Mac battling Borg and Mac and Jimbo sniping at each other ignited a sleepy sport. “Pistol Pete” Sampras vs. “Image is Everything” Agassi sizzled.
For more than a decade, tennis had hoped for a Sunday treat – Roger vs. Rafa. And when they faded, many a tennis lover feared that all would be lost.
But no worries. This sport perpetually reinvents itself, and the rivalry between a lean Italian with a mean forehand and a sweet personality and a bounding Spaniard with blazing speed and a beaming smile is now the game’s prime attraction.
Their “Can this sport be any better?” French Open epic was arguably the third best match in tennis history.
But a month later, the prospects of getting another No. 1 vs. No. 2 final seemed slim. In the first round, Italian Fabio Fognini had Carlos on the ropes. Worse yet, Jannik was down by two sets against Grigor Dimitrov, and then the injury-prone Bulgarian pulled up lame. But eventually, the tennis gods smiled and gave tennisdom what it wanted: a “Sin-caraz” sequel between the No. 1 and No. 2 players.
While we loved Federer for his grace and majesty, and Nadal gave us mesmerizing fury and intent, Alcaraz delivers free-form athleticism and irresistible joy.
Sinner is different – an inward man. The word impassive comes to mind. Clearly he’s a product of the Ivan Lendl-Pete Sampras school of charisma-free tennis.
Yes, the 23-year-old is quickly evolving into a kind, thoughtful man who grasps the moment. Often he offers empathetic words. All the while, his no-fuss, just-dominate play is seen as cool and efficient. Some dismiss him as robotic.
But his still evolving journey has been a wonder. The former junior skiing star emerges to win Grand Slams and become the ATP’s No. 1. The Gucci-friendly, celebrity-dating mountain man with ginger hair becomes a superstar in Italy.
Then Jannik was suspended for drug use, and hung out with the Pope and opera icon Andrea Bocelli before heading to Paris, where he faltered, and then to London, where he raced to the Wimbledon final. How boring! “Get a life, guy.”
Today, In the fifth game of the opening set, Sinner made the first move. He hit a volley winner and punishing groundies, brought Alcaraz to the turf in front of the Royal Box, and won four points in a row to break.
But Alcaraz powered up his shots and won an 18-stroke exchange to break back, and soon gained a set point. There Sinner blasted a forehand for what seemed to be a certain winner. But the Spanish magician unleashed a spectacular backhand stab and the crowd roared. In 44 minutes, the tight first set was his. “It’s official: Carlos is superhuman,” quipped Marcus Buckland.
But who else can put adversity in the rear view mirror more adeptly than the steely, all-business Italian, who immediately broke and went ahead in the second set, 2-1?
Then came an only-at-Wimbledon moment. A champagne cork landed next to Sinner’s feet as he was about to serve. Umpire Allison Hughes promptly chided the sinner who’d disrupted Sinner: “As a courtesy to the players, please do not pop the champagne corks prior to when the players are about to serve.”
Back on court, Alcaraz’s second serve faltered badly, and Sinner, with a 5-4 lead, produced a trio of highlight reel points. He sprinted, seemingly from Brighton, to retrieve a drop shot. He blasted what Radio Wimbledon called “an absolute fizzer,” and then a subtle crosscourt forehand winner to even the battle at a set apiece.
Alacaraz’s serve dipped, his drop shots wavered, his decision making wasn’t exactly Carlos-like. Sinner was in ascendance. Ben Shelton, who was battered and bruised by Jannik in the quarters, observed, “His ball speed is really high. Never seen anything like it…When you play him, it’s almost like things are in 2x speed.”
And after 17 straight holds of serve, the Italian stroked a forehand volley to the corner that floored the Spaniard and gave Sinner a break, en route to his third-set win, 6-4. The sinewy 6′ 4″ man – so powerful, so balanced – who grew up on skis, was now zooming downhill.
While Carlos missed serves and double faulted, Jannik blasted two confident down-the-line winners to break early in the fourth set. A look of shock crossed Alcaraz’s face. Was his 24-match winning streak in jeopardy? After winning five Slam finals, would he lose his first? Would Sinner’s miserable memories of Paris emerge?
But today, destiny was with the man who said that maybe the Pope might bring him luck. Even Jannik’s let cords went his way.
Still, with two break points at 4-3, Alcaraz had a fourth-set window of opportunity. But unlike in Paris, Sinner stepped up. Unafraid and brave, he served big with the wind, was aggressive and played inspired ball, rebuffing Alcaraz’s break points to go up 5-3 in the fourth set.
This was the exact score at Roland Garros where Alcaraz turned everything around. Could the Houdini of tennis do it again? No way. Sinner powerfully held his nerve and his serve, and, after scoring his 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win, lifted his arms in triumph.
Redemption was his. Gone were the memories of a drug suspension and the ghosts of Paris, where he’d dropped three championship points. The man who’d lost five straight times to his Spanish rival, who’d been down by two sets to a Bulgarian, claimed his fourth Grand Slam title and became the first Italian to ever lift the Gentleman’s Singles Challenge Cup.
Jannik said, “it was anything but easy.”
