Wimbledon final makes undeniable truth clear as Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz

When a trademark delicate drop shot gave Carlos Alcaraz the first break point of this year’s men’s singles Wimbledon final, there was no fist-pump from the Spaniard.

Instead, he went to the net and asked Jannik Sinner if he was okay after noticing his opponent had slipped awkwardly when trying to respond to the Alcaraz brilliance. Class act, Carlos.

But then again, the respect between these two players is mutual and immense. When Alcaraz fell in a vain attempt to retrieve a blistering forehand that won Sinner the ninth game of the third set, the Italian also advanced to the net to check on his rival’s well-being.

Of course, this is what all good tennis professionals do but this is a rivalry that is already built on the foundations of deepest respect.

The controversy of Sinner’s three-month doping ban - the timing of which meant he did not miss any Grand Slams - has certainly had no flames fanned by Alcaraz. Their duels have already earned a place in tennis history and Sinner is 23 and Alcaraz is 22.

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With this win, Sinner now has four Grand Slam titles, one less than Alcaraz has. And not even a rogue champagne cork could disturb Sinner’s charge to a first Wimbledon title.

When he was serving at a crucial point of the second set, the cork landed just behind him, prompting the chair umpire, Alison Hughes, to utter a warning you could only hear at SW19

“Ladies and gentlemen, please do not pop your champagne corks as the players are about to serve,” she intoned. Quite.

There will be plenty of bubbly uncorked in the Sinner camp after a landmark victory, a victory that, it must be remembered, came after the injured Grigor Dimitrov had to forfeit his last 16 match against the world number one when two sets to love ahead.

In tennis annals, that will not be remembered. What will be remembered is a ruthless, power-packed, almost surgical display from Sinner.

His unruffled response to losing the first set was to immediately break Alcaraz in the second and he never took a backward step after that. Strangely, though, Alcaraz often seemed at odds with himself, particularly frustrated with a costly habit of serving double faults.

He was never quite happy with his game and Sinner sensed it and pounced to end a run of Alcaraz wins at Wimbledon that had reached 20.

He was helped by a spot of luck in the sixth game of the fourth set, for which he apologised profusely. Of course he did. It is back to the respect thing.

And after he closed out a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 win, Sinner was suitably gracious towards a player with whom he is going to share the grandest stages for many years to come.