Jannik Sinner is on top of the world after beating Carlos Alcaraz to win the first Wimbledon title of his career.
The Italian avenged a brutal loss in the French Open final – a match he had three straight championship points – to defeat Alcaraz in four sets on Wimbledon’s Centre Court in July.
The Italian’s potential star power has been recognised for some time. Sinner first broke onto the scene in 2019 when he surprised many by winning the Next Gen Tour Finals as a wild card.
With the Washington Open set to return to our televisions on July 21, it is worth looking back at one of Jannik Sinner’s first titles, the 2021 edition of the Washington Open.
Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty ImagesJannik Sinner disregarded his age after making history at the 2021 Washington Open
At just 19 years of age, Jannik Sinner became the youngest winner of an ATP 500 title since their introduction in 2009, after winning the Washington Open in 2021.
The Italian battled past American Mackenzie McDonald, winning 7-5 4-6 7-5 to capture his third ATP Tour title.
After the match, Sinner put little stock into the factor of age when considering his achievement.
He said: “I think there is still much work to do, to be honest.
A lot of experience to put in, working hard as we are doing now, and trying to play important matches and important moments of a match.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
“Today I think I had a lot of them. I can learn many things [from] today.
“When you see somebody is the youngest or whatever, I don’t put much weight on that. There are a lot of players who have done much, much better than me.
“It’s not about who is the youngest or whatever. I just want to improve, work hard.”
Sinner held the record for less than a year. Carlos Alcaraz won the Rio Open in 2022 at 18 years and nine months old.
Jannik Sinner wins 100 Grand Slam matches with Wimbledon final victory
With victory over Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner broke new ground across the ATP and WTA Tours.
As per OptaAce Jannik Sinner appeared in his 100th main draw match at Grand Slams when playing Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, becoming the first player in the Open Era to play his 100th Grand Slam final match in a men’s singles final.
By beating Alcaraz, he became the first player in Open Era history to win a Grand Slam on his 100th Grand Slam appearance.
Sinner has won three of the last four majors and came excruciatingly close to doing something only Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver have achieved. He will look to make more history at the US Open in September.
The Italian will be hoping to win a fourth Grand Slam in five, all while defending his US Open title from 2024.