Sunday was redemption time for Jannik Sinner. The world No.1, who had lost the last five matches to No.2 Carlos Alcaraz before heading to Wimbledon, needed a victory to not just win his first grasscourt grand slam title, but also to put a balm on the heartbreaking French Open loss.

The two — Sinner and Alcaraz — are building up a rivalry and a dominance in the sport that may go on to match the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic era. It may take time, but the brilliance is there. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 8-5, but right now, it’s Sinner’s time.

This was Sinner’s fourth major, and the first time that an Italian man has won Wimbledon.

So what changed from the French Open?

Sinner made a conscious shift in mindset and preparation since losing at Roland Garros only five weeks ago. He had three championship points and was serving for the match — no male player has ever squandered more championship points in a grand slam final defeat — but he didn’t dwell on it, he used it as fuel for Wimbledon.

Sinner’s coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi didn’t mention that defeat again. From the time the entourage reached London, they noticed how focused their player was. “I wouldn’t have coped with that,” Cahill had said of Sinner’s loss in Paris.

Till the fourth round in London, Sinner had not lost a set. He was challenged in the fourth by Grigor Dimitrov, but an injury to the 19th seed helped Sinner escape from being two sets down when his opponent retired. That was perhaps the shock that he needed and he didn’t lose another set till he made the final. En route, he defeated Djokovic in the semi-final 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

It was as if he had completely wiped away the memory from across the Channel. “That’s not easy to do. It’s easy for us to say that in words, to put it to one side, but for the player to wipe it away and be able to come here with the mentality that he had, is 100 per cent credit to him,” Cahill said.

“He needed that win,” Cahill said of Sunday’s final. “He knew the importance of closing this one out when he had the opportunity.”

Which was why, the Australian suggested, the Italian had shown a little more energy in the big moments.

Coming into Wimbledon, Sinner had worked on his serve, knowing how vital it was on faster surfaces. On Sunday, that is where Alcaraz faltered. Sinner got 62 per cent of his first serves in, while Alcaraz managed only 53. Surprisingly, Alcaraz made fewer unforced errors — 36 to victor’s 40.

Sinner not only increased his first-serve accuracy, he also played shorter, more aggressive points to counteract Alcaraz’s dynamic return game.

He worked on his movement on grass and his long training for low bounce control and net approaches paid off. Incidentally, net play, considered to be Alcaraz’s forte, was missing from his arsenal on Sunday.

But what made the biggest difference from Paris to London was mental resilience. Sinner stayed calm under pressure, something he struggled with in Paris. He never looked like the player who lost the epic five‑hour-29‑minute match. In contrast, the Wimbledon final lasted just over three hours. It was Sinner’s time to rebound after dropping the first set and then take charge for the 4‑6, 6‑4, 6‑4, 6‑4 win.

“End of the day, it doesn’t really matter if I won or lost (in Paris)… we tried to accept the loss and just keep working. I’m so grateful that I’m healthy and I have great people around me,” Sinner said.

Doping controversy and injuries have been hurdles that he had to overcome. Sunday’s victory has provided him with a huge stepping stone towards establishing himself as one of the best in the business.