Jannik Sinner has made it to his first Wimbledon final, where he’ll face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a Roland Garros rematch.
Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals to advance, and now has the chance to become the first Italian, man or woman, in history to emerge victorious in singles at the championships.
The world number one is now the 11th player in the Open Era to reach the final at all four Grand Slams, following legends such as Rod Laver, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.
With the two-time Wimbledon champion in his way, Sinner will have to produce his very best tennis to hold the trophy aloft on Centre Court.
He has enjoyed an impressive campaign in South West London, which former finalist Nick Kyrgios analysed ahead of the final.
Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty ImagesNick Kyrgios says the changing of the guard has happened in tennis
On Talksport, Kyrgios said: “There is no doubt that he has dealt with an insane amount of noise over the last year.
“To see him and how he responded and came back. He comes back and makes the final of Rome and it looks like he has not missed a beat.
“For someone like myself and others who have been out of the game for a little bit of time, not being in that competitive environment, you lose a step, the thing with Jannik Sinner is that he hasn’t and he has even gotten better, which is scary to me.
“He has barely had a bad result. He had that shock loss to Bublik on the grass, but that’s first week on grass, and you’re not really too shocked about it.
“The changing of the guard has happened, and Alcaraz and Sinner are the two guys who have taken the mantle, and they are going to be the next big two.
“I don’t know who the big three are, but those guys are head and shoulders above everyone in the tournament.”
Jannik Sinner’s results since returning from suspension in May
Since Sinner returned from his suspension, he has featured at four tournaments on the ATP Tour.
He made a comeback to the sport in May and appeared at the Italian Open, where he reached the final, before losing to Alcaraz.
TournamentResultWimbledon–Halle OpenSecond RoundFrench OpenFinalItalian OpenFinal
The 23-year-old then entered the French Open and didn’t drop a set en route to his first final in Paris, but once again suffered defeat to his Spanish rival.
Sinner played just one grass-court tune-up event ahead of Wimbledon, bowing out in the second round of the Halle Open just over a week after the conclusion of Roland Garros.
In his third final since returning to the tour, he is now presented with the chance to do what none of his compatriots have managed in tennis history.