Carlos Alcaraz sends message to Jannik Sinner after Wimbledon victory
Jannik Sinner won his first Grand Slam for a calendar year by defending his Wimbledon title with a final victory over Alexander Zverev.
Despite his early exit from Roland Garros, Sinner was still the overwhelming favourite to lift the title at SW19.
The World No 1 was competing without his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz, who missed his second straight Grand Slam due to a wrist injury he suffered in April.
The pair have a heated rivalry on the court, but they remain good friends away from tennis.
Mere minutes after Sinner lifted the Wimbledon title on the famous balcony, Alcaraz took to Instagram to celebrate his rivals latest achievement.
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“Congratulations Jannik and team!” the World No 3 wrote on Instagram. “Enjoy the moment.”
The pair now hold one Grand Slam apiece in the 2026 season, with the Spaniard claiming the Australian Open title at the beginning of the year, and Alcaraz will be hoping he can return to action at the US Open, as he looks to defend his title.
Alcaraz’s withdrawal from some of the biggest events on the tennis calendar has left a gigantic hole in the sport, but it’s also left Sinner with a huge opportunity.
After his Wimbledon victory, he is just two Grand Slam titles behind Alcaraz’s seven.
Should Alcaraz miss the US Open, which the likes of Boris Becker and Greg Rusedski expect him to, Sinner will once again be the overwhelming favourite to win the Grand Slam.
The pair met in the US Open final during the 2025 season, which Alcaraz was able to meet in four sets.
Before Zverev’s Roland Garros triumph, Alcaraz and Sinner had shared the last nine Grand Slam titles, dating back to Novak Djokovic’s victory at the 2023 US Open.
Alcaraz and Sinner dominated much of the tennis landscape during the 2025 season, but they have only met on one occasion so far this year, due to the Spaniard’s injury issues.
That came in the Monte Carlo Masters final in April, which Sinner won comprehensively to kick-off his dominance on the European clay court swing.
Fans and pundits alike will be hoping they can reignite their rivalry once Alcaraz returns, but there will likely be teething issues for the World No 3.
Having not appeared on the Canadian Open entry list, he has now been confirmed to be out of action for five months, with his next likely tournament expected to be in mid-August.
That will likely be the Cincinnati Open, which he won last year. He defeated Sinner in the final of the American event, after the Italian was forced to retire due to illness after just one set.
