Jannik Sinner's actions behind the scenes speak volumes about true Carlos Alcaraz feelings

A sterling comeback over Carlos Alcaraz saw Jannik Sinner claim his first Wimbledon crown and move within one title of a career Grand Slam. And the Italian's preparation for this one opponent shows just how much Sinner respects his emerging nemesis.

The former Next-Gen prospects are slated to dominate the Grand Slam scene for years to come in what many consider the new duopoly in men's tennis. Sinner, 23, puts a lot of work into researching all of his opposition, but Alcaraz consumes more of his time than any other. That's according to coach Darren Cahill, who has helped inspire Sinner's run to four major titles from the last seven Grand Slam tournaments. And it demonstrates the reverence the world No. 1 has for a foe he's likely to encounter dozens of times over the next decade.

"I would say we're preparing for everybody, not just one player," said Cahill after Sinner's triumph at SW19 on Sunday. "Because if you prepare somebody for just one player, other players are going to sneak up on you and cause huge problems. There are so many variations in playing styles these days.

"The way he played today against Carlos isn't going to work against Ben Shelton or Alexander Zverev. So you have to prepare a player to face all kinds of possibilities. But Carlos is a big focus, and they're both pushing each other.

"I would say Jannik watches more of Carlos' matches than any other player, because he's fascinated by the improvements that are happening in Carlos' game, and he puts pressure on us as coaches to make sure he improves as a player, too. So the rivalry is real. It exists. And hopefully it will continue to exist for the next 10 or 12 years."

It showed in Sunday's decider just how thoroughly Sinner has researched Alcaraz and any potential holes in his game, however few they may be. It was notable that he targeted the Spaniard's forehand as a means to open up chances on the backhand, which paid dividends as he came from behind to win.

Sinner, who left SW19 £3million richer, also made conscious efforts to advance the net and attempted nearly twice as many net points as his opponent. As a result, he now needs only an Australian Open trophy to complete his set at the four Grand Slams.

Alcaraz has lost to Sinner in both of their meetings on grass to date, with the other coming in the last 16 of Wimbledon three years ago. Sinner was somewhat fortunate to see Grigor Dimitrov retire from their fourth-round clash at two sets up, though otherwise he didn't drop a single set.

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That result stands as proof there are improvements still to be made in his game, and he may not have reached the finals had Dimitrov made it through their match. But his background checking on Alcaraz was spot on.

Sinner will launch his defence of the US Open title in August when the fourth and final major of 2025 gets underway at Flushing Meadows. And that could require more groundwork to beat a new version of Alcaraz, who will be as motivated as ever to get one back over his arch-rival.