Carlos Alcaraz had a classy message for Jannik Sinner after his Wimbledon repeat win

This time of year, we’re usually accustomed to seeing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz square off for a Grand Slam men’s singles title. But due to a wrist injury, Alcaraz has now missed each of the last two Grand Slam Finals this calendar year and may miss the upcoming U.S. Open, too.

That meant that the defending men’s Wimbledon champion, Sinner, instead faced off against Alexander Zverev — the current French Open champion — in Sunday’s final. Despite some hiccups here and there, Sinner more or less repeated as Wimbledon champion to earn the fifth Grand Slam title of his career. While Sinner’s victory is well deserved, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we missed out on another possible legendary matchup between him and Alcaraz.

The recovering Spanish superstar sent us a clear reminder of his absence after Sinner’s victory. But not in the way you might think. Alcaraz took to his Instagram to share a message congratulating Sinner for winning Wimbledon again, telling him, “Congratulations Jannik [Sinner] and team. Enjoy the moment!”

For two rival men at the top of the sport, that’s the sort of classy sportsmanship we should all enjoy seeing:

Carlos Alcaraz congratulated Jannik Sinner after he won his 2nd consecutive Wimbledon title

“Congratulations Jannik and team! 🏆🌱Enjoy the moment!”

Respect. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/H9bK02Bsxn

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 12, 2026

Now, I acknowledge that some might take Alcaraz’s message differently. Some might see this as a “warning” of sorts to let Sinner know he shouldn’t get too comfortable while Alcaraz recuperates; a wink, a nod, and a taunt, if you will. But that misses the point of this dynamic. Despite their tense on-court rivalry, Sinner and Alcaraz seem to have a genuine respect for one another’s talents and abilities. There is little reason to believe that Alcaraz is in any way trying to prod at Sinner or turn his rival’s latest accomplishment into something it isn’t.

This was, for all intents and purposes, an elite player showing true admiration and happiness for his elite peer. Nothing else.

What is Jannik Sinner’s record against Carlos Alcaraz?

Sinner is 7-10 all-time against Alcaraz, per the ATP Tour. They have faced off in three Grand Slam Finals against each other, with Alcaraz winning two of those matchups (the 2025 French Open and the 2025 U.S. Open). Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the 2025 Wimbledon Final.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Carlos Alcaraz had a classy message for Jannik Sinner after his Wimbledon repeat win