Jannik Sinner is into his first-ever Wimbledon final, setting up another mouth-watering clash against Carlos Alcaraz.
It was the match that the tennis world wanted to see again, especially after the historic thriller they played out last month at Roland Garros.
That clash had drama, jeopardy, heartbreak and pure elation, ending in the Spaniard’s second successive success in Paris.
And now, at the All-England Club, he is bidding to score title number three in a row.
Of course, after beating Novak Djokovic, this match-up was the first place where people’s minds went. As such, Jannik Sinner was asked about it in his on-court interview.
Jannik Sinner speaks about Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon semi-final
The world number one started his speech by giving his immediate verdict on reaching the final, noting: “Amazing. Wow. I cannot believe it. It’s a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television and I would never have imagined I could play here in the finals. It’s amazing.
“I know how much work me and my team are putting in, today I have my Dad and my brother so it’s even more special and playing here in front of you guys is amazing.”
Sinner then moved on to his opponent: “From my side, I served very well today. I felt great on court. I was moving much better today.
“I think we all saw, especially in the third set, he was a bit injured. He fell in the last couple of points of the quarter finals and has been in a very difficult situation. I tried to stay calm and tried to play the best tennis I can, especially in the important moments, and I felt like today I was playing great so I am very happy with the performance and let’s see what is coming in the final.”
And, of course, Carlos Alcaraz remained the final and all-important topic of conversation: “We saw the last final, you never know [what to expect].
“It’s a huge honour for me to share the court once again with Carlos. We try to push ourselves to the limit. He is for sure one of the players I look up to. I love watching him. I think you guys all agree on that. What kind of a talent he is.
“Hopefully it is going to be a good match like the last one, I don’t know if it’ll be better, because I don’t think it’s possible. But we will try to do our best, and hopefully it will be an enjoyable match to play and for you guys to watch.”
Djokovic’s fitness was questioned in the run-up to today’s Wimbledon semi-final, and it was clear to see that the Serbian became more and more hindered as the match went on.
Jannik Sinner reacts to joining exclusive group including Roger Federer and Andy Murray
The 23-year-old was not finished there though, and was told a really interesting statistic that puts him alongside some of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
Just five men have made it through to the final of every Slam since 1995: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Djokovic, and now, Sinner.
Reacting to that news, he was justifiably delighted, replying with a wry smile: “That’s some good company! It’s amazing. It shows I am growing as a player on all surfaces which is more important, to try and keep going and keep working. I struggled a lot five years ago when I started on this surface, I could not really move very well, and now I am moving much better.
“It is all part of the process. I am very happy. My team and me are trying to work every day with a good purpose, so it means a lot to me having achieved those kinds of things.
“But we try to keep going and have a smile on our face which is even more important in this journey.”
Sinner and Alcaraz will play the Wimbledon final this Sunday, with the tennis world set to stand still.
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