Jannik Sinner put to bed any concerns that he was suffering from a French Open hangover after defeating Carlos Alcaraz to win the Wimbledon title.
Sinner was congratulated by Alcaraz after the match, and even he could not quite believe his accomplishment. The Italian posted on social media after the final saying: “Am I still dreaming?”
The Italian rose to the occasion every time it was required of him, snuffing out multiple Alcaraz opportunities with excellent serving and a delightful array of groundstrokes.
At 4-3 in the fourth set, Sinner was under pressure on his serve at 15-40 down, with Alcaraz on the verge of swinging the momentum back in his favour.
However, the Italian played four strong points in a row to close out the game and send himself towards the finish line.
After the victory, Sinner spoke about how he deals with the pressure that comes with his status.
Jannik Sinner says pressure is ‘a privilege to have’
On American broadcast network CNBC, Jannik Sinner was asked how he deals with pressure and burnout.
He said: “Everyone has his own way to handle pressure.
“I really like the pressure because I think if you don’t feel pressure it means you don’t care about what you’re doing and I feel privileged to be in the position I am because you have such an amount of pressure.
“But at the same time, you have a target on your back too at times and, this is exactly the motivation [why] I keep working hard.
“Because every player, he knows how I play now, knows how I move, and this is exactly why I always have to improve in practice sessions to get ahead at times and, as I said before, that’s exactly why I need my team.
“And pressure is, I always say, it’s a privilege to have.”
‘A moment I’ll never forget’
Sinner has been active on social media after the final, celebrating a momentous victory over his great rival.
On Tuesday, Sinner posted a picture of the winning moment on Instagram, with the caption: “A moment I’ll never forget.”
Sinner, who has won three of the last four Grand Slams, will look to make it four in five when he travels to New York for the US Open in August.
Before then, both Sinner and Alcaraz are expected to compete at the Toronto Masters 1000 tournament, which begins on July 27.
