Jimmy Connors says Carlos Alcaraz did something before he walked on court for the Wimbledon final which he never would

Carlos Alcaraz’s dream of winning a third consecutive Wimbledon title came to an end on Sunday evening after losing to Jannik Sinner in the final.

The Spaniard was no match for his long-time rival in their latest encounter, losing 6-4 4-6 4-6 4-6 on Centre Court.

Alcaraz, who also lost to Sinner at Wimbledon in 2022, was ultimately out-performed by Sinner from the baseline and his usual drop-shot tactic did not work as effectively against the agile Italian.

However, Alcaraz is already a five-time Grand Slam champion at 22 years of age, and he has another opportunity to win a major at the US Open in September.

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Jimmy Connors, a record-holder of five US Open titles, pinpointed a particular area of Alcaraz’s pre-match routine before the Wimbledon final that he would not have done during his playing career.

Jimmy Connors says he would not have ‘hugged seven or eight guys’ before going onto court

Jimmy Connors’ opinions hold weight when it comes to tennis. An eight-time Grand Slam champion, Connors has a wealth of valuable experience to draw on and share with the wider population.

Connors, who won two Wimbledon titles, was speaking on the ‘Advantage Connors Podcast‘ when the topic of Alcaraz and Sinner’s entourages arose.

Speaking to his son and co-host Brett Connors, Jimmy said: “I saw before they walked out on court, I think it was Alcaraz. He was getting ready to walk out on court and he must have hugged seven or eight guys.

“Your mum told me ‘get out there and play and let’s go home.’

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“But they were hugging seven or eight guys in their camp. You have this guy and that guy, who is going to do this and that. To the point where I would have looked at that as a distraction.

“They look at that now differently. They look at that now that everybody is there for a reason and they have a purpose.”

Carlos Alcaraz suffers his first loss in a Grand Slam final

Despite losing on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz can take great confidence heading into the US Open in August, a place where he is a former champion.

Alcaraz had not lost any of his previous Grand Slam finals heading into Wimbledon, beating the likes of Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in those finals.

Tournament Alcaraz’s opponent in the final US Open 2022 beat Casper Ruud 6-4 2-6 7-6 6-3 Wimbledon 2023 beat Novak Djokovic 1–6 7–6 6–1 3–6 6–4 French Open 2024 beat Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 Wimbledon 2024 beat Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-2 7-6 French Open 2024 beat Jannik Sinner 4–6 6–7 6–4 7–6 7–6 Wimbledon 2025 lost to Jannik Sinner 6-4 4-6 4-6 4-6

Despite that confidence, Jannik Sinner remains the clear favourite for the title. He has won three hard-court majors to Alcaraz’s one, most recently capturing the 2025 Australian Open title.

The US Open will be contested by Alcaraz, Sinner and many others between August 24 and September 7.

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