From picking the favorite to bracing for a fierce thriller: What Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have said about each other before Wimbledon final

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have set up their second Grand Slam final clash at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. The pair locked horns as recently as the final of this year's French Open, and it turned out to be a spectacle for the ages, with the Spaniard and the Italian producing a five-hour-29-minute epic consisting of relentless hitting, exceptional court coverage, and dazzling variety.

Both men have spoken up about facing each other on Wimbledon's iconic Centre Court on Sunday, July 13. Reigning World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who stormed past the aging Novak Djokovic to reach the final, named two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz the favorite.

"He’s the favorite. He won here two times in a row and is in the final again. It’s very difficult to beat him on grass. But I like these challenges and I like to go head to head and trying to see what I can do and what I can reach," Sinner said at a post-match press conference following his win in the semis.

Meanwhile, the Spaniard himself revisited his remarkable recovery against the Italian in the Roland Garros final. According to the ATP No. 2, Sinner will once again push him to the limits. He also joked about not wanting another marathon contest like the one they produced on the red clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

"It (2025 French Open final against Sinner) was the best match I’ve ever played so far. I’m not surprised he just pushed me to the limits. I expect that on Sunday. To be at the limit. To be on the line. It’s gonna be a great final. I’m just excited about it. I just hope not to be 5 and a half hours on court again. If I have to, I will," Alcaraz said.

The Spaniard hailed the Italian's movement so far on the Wimbledon grass this year as well.

"Jannik Sinner's sliding like he's playing on clay" - Carlos Alcaraz on Italian's movement at Wimbledon 2025

Jannik Sinner plays a sliding two-handed backhanded at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships (Source: Getty)

On clay, sliding is seen as important element in playing tennis. While players can slide on grass as well, the difficulty level is typically regarded as much higher compared to executing the technique on clay. However, for Jannik Sinner, sliding at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships has so far seemed almost effortless. Speaking up about the subject after beating Taylor Fritz in the semis, Carlos Alcaraz said:

"I see Jannik playing great tennis on grass. The movement on grass is the hardest thing to get. And the most important thing. At least for me. The movement Jannik has on grass is unbelievable. He’s sliding like he’s playing on clay from both legs. It’s just unbelievable."

The men's singles final at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships is set to mark the 13th meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard leads the head-to-head 8-4.

Edited by Sudipto Pati