Jannik Sinner has defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a high-octane final to claim his maiden Wimbledon trophy and fourth Grand Slam crown, avenging his loss to the Spaniard in last month's epic French Open final.
The hard-fought 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over the two-times defending champion on the famous lawns of London ensured that Sinner became the first Italian to secure a Wimbledon singles title.
"I would like to start with Carlos. An amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are," he said.
"It's so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship off the court and on the court ... keep going, keep pushing."
The 23-year-old Sinner drew first blood in the first Wimbledon men's final contested by a pair born in the 2000s, breaking for a 3-2 lead, but Alcaraz clawed back before hitting a spectacular return at full stretch to wrap up the opening set and he celebrated by cupping his ear and soaking up the cheers.
The top seed shrugged off the distraction and hit a running crosscourt winner to take the second set, before tightening his grip on the contest by unleashing a superb volley at the net to break for 5-4 and then holding in the next game to seal the third set with minimum fuss.
With shadows drifting across the main showcourt that had basked in bright sunshine, Sinner wheeled away to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set as Alcaraz began to display the smallest signs of dejection, and the monk-like world number one held firm from there to complete a famous victory.
"It's amazing to be in this position," added Sinner.
"We were talking actually before the match; we would never have thought to be in this position. Back in the days when I was young, this was only a dream, because it was so far away from where I'm from. So I'm just living my dream, it's amazing."
"I'd like to thank my team and everyone who came here for this special day. It means so much. You give me so much emotion on and off the court and we try to keep pushing and trying to become a better tennis player, but mostly a better person."
"I'm just really happy and really proud about everything I'm doing," the 22-year-old Alcaraz said.
"At the beginning of the season, I struggled a little bit on the court, but then suddenly I started to bring joy on the court again and that excitement I have every time I step on the court.
"It's a great journey so far, which I'm really proud of."
Sinner's third major came at this year's Australian Open where he retained the title despite the dark cloud of a possible ban for a doping violation hanging over his head.
Tennis authorities found he one bore 'no fault or negligence' for a positive test for anabolic steroid clostebol - Sinner saying it had inadvertently entered his system via a massage from a team member - but he accepted a three-month ban from World Anti-Doping Agency in February.
His title on Sunday was his first since returning in May and came five weeks after losing an epic five-hour French Open final to Alcaraz in which he squandered three match points.
Sinner said the way he lost in Paris had actually made it easier to move on.
"I always tried to be honest with myself... I always tried to accept it. I believe if you lose a Grand Slam final that way, it's much better like this than when someone kills you."
