SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
It's a new era for men's tennis. Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the single final at Wimbledon. Between them, the two have won every Grand Slam in the past two calendar years, as NPR's Becky Sullivan reports.
BECKY SULLIVAN, BYLINE: This is a story about Wimbledon, but first we have to talk about what happened last month, where the clash of these two young titans in the French Open final turned out to be an instant classic.
(SOUNDBITE OF TENNIS BALL BEING HIT)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #1: (Speaking French).
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #2: It's Carlos Alcaraz.
SULLIVAN: Jannik Sinner had Carlos Alcaraz on his heels time and again in Paris. He had match point three times, just one point away from a title. But Alcaraz won them all to stay afloat. And ultimately, after 5 1/2 hours, the Spaniard prevailed. It was a gutting loss for Sinner, as he said then.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JANNIK SINNER: I'm happy to deliver this kind of level, happy about the tournament still, but obviously, this one hurts.
SULLIVAN: That was the sixth Grand Slam in a row won by either Sinner or Alcaraz, but it was actually the first time they had played each other in the final, and that kind of effort and heartbreak could have taken Sinner a long time to recover from. But there's no time for that in the relentless summer tennis schedule. Wimbledon would begin just a few weeks later. Fast-forward to Sunday's final on the grass at Centre Court. With a crowd that included the King of Spain and Prince and Princess of Wales, the two met yet again.
(CHEERING)
SULLIVAN: Alcaraz had won the last two Wimbledon titles, but this time, Sinner was in control. He sent Alcaraz chasing shot after shot to the corners. After four sets, the trophy was his, as heard here on ESPN.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #3: It's Yannik Sinner's time to shine.
SULLIVAN: It's the fourth Grand Slam title of Sinner's career and his first at Wimbledon. On the court after the match, with his arms wrapped around the golden trophy, Sinner thanked Alcaraz before anyone else.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SINNER: Keep going. Keep pushing. You're going to hold many, many times this. You have already two, so...
SINNER: So...
SULLIVAN: This year, the pair has tightened their grip on men's tennis, and it's a reign that could last some time. Sinner is only 23 years old, and Alcaraz is even younger. He just turned 22. Alcaraz says their rivalry inspires each other to work even harder.
CARLOS ALCARAZ: I think it's great for us, and it is great for the tennis. Every time we playing against each other, I think we - our level is really high.
SULLIVAN: Now, it's his turn to bounce back. The next Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, begins in just six weeks.
Becky Sullivan, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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