Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns to Damir Džumhur, of Bosnia, during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on Aug. 10, 2025.

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“It Took Me Hours, Not Even Days” – Carlos Alcaraz Reflected on His First Grand Slam Final Defeat to Jannik Sinner

World No. 2 reflects on Wimbledon loss to Sinner as he targets his first Cincinnati Masters crown.

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns to Damir Džumhur, of Bosnia, during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on Aug. 10, 2025.

Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 2, is chasing his first Cincinnati Masters title this week. Speaking ahead of his third-round clash with Hamad Medjedovic, Alcaraz admitted the defeat was not as devastating as one might expect.

“I obviously didn’t want to lose any finals that I play, even more if it’s a Wimbledon final or a Grand Slam final,” he said. “I left the court happy. I left the court proud. I left the court smiling, just thinking, ‘Ok, at some point, I have to lose a Grand Slam final. Everyone does.’ I’m just proud.”

The five-time major champion, who had been flawless in his first five Slam finals, fell to Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Wimbledon final, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, ending his bid for a third consecutive crown at the All England Club.

“I left the court happy, just thinking, ‘Ok, at some point, I have to lose a Grand Slam final. Everyone does.’ I’m just proud." ❤️

Carlos Alcaraz opens up about how he felt after losing the Wimbledon final to Jannik Sinner:https://t.co/AK8CBBxLOA
— TENNIS (@Tennis) August 6, 2025

From Wimbledon Setback to US Open Drive

Alcaraz explained that the sting of defeat didn’t linger. “It took me hours, not even days,” he revealed. “I had to be grateful for everything I’ve achieved, that I’m living, and being in a Wimbledon final was more than that. Even though I lost it, I left the court proud and happy with everything I did.”

The loss was Sinner’s revenge for Roland Garros, where Alcaraz had claimed the title in their previous Slam showdown. The duo have split the last two major finals and, remarkably, the last seven Grand Slam trophies between them, Sinner winning four and Alcaraz three.

"I love having time for me if I have to be honest." 😹 🩵

Carlos Alcaraz joined us at the desk and opened up about his summer success and, more importantly, his time off of work 🙂‍↕️ #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/zvgYzBscLA
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 10, 2025

Following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old Spaniard switched off completely. “For myself, when I’m off, I’m off,” he said with a smile, recalling a week-long summer break before resuming his US Open preparations. He skipped Toronto due to this but arrived in Cincinnati with renewed focus, brushing past Damir Dzumhur in a three-set second-round match after a first-round bye.

Cincinnati is one of just four Masters 1000 titles missing from Alcaraz’s collection. In 2023, he came within a whisker, losing an epic final to Novak Djokovic. With Sinner reigning as champion in both New York and Cincinnati, and Alcaraz eager to reclaim the US Open he first won in 2022.

Alcaraz d. Dzumhur 6-1 2-6 6-3 in Cincinnati

Carlos gets through a tricky opener

✅Won 34 of last 36 matches
✅49th win of 2025

2023 finalist on the move

🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/6vfnxq2X6z
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 10, 2025

For now, that Wimbledon loss stands less as a blemish and more as a reminder of Alcaraz’s perspective, that even true champions smile in defeat when they know more battles lie ahead.

Image Credits: Imagn Images

Carlos Alcaraz

Cincinnati Open 2025

Jannik Sinner

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.