The Carlos Alcaraz–Jannik Sinner duopoly has landed at Wimbledon.
The two young stars advanced past Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic, respectively, in the semifinals Friday. Fritz took one set off Alcaraz, and Sinner dispatched Djokovic in straight sets, blocking the Serb from making his seventh straight Wimbledon final.
Alcaraz and Sinner are fresh off their five-and-a-half-hour battle at Roland-Garros last month that drew 1.8 million viewers on TNT and truTV. The matchup is a dream for ESPN, which has broadcast rights to Wimbledon in the U.S. for the next decade.
The last four standing of Alcaraz, Fritz, Sinner, and Djokovic set ESPN up for a thrilling final no matter the outcome. Fritz fought to become the first American man to reach the Wimbledon final since 2009; American players tend to lift U.S. ratings. And Djokovic, 38, was on the cusp of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, but he hasn’t won a major since the 2023 US Open. He fell to Alcaraz in the past two Wimbledon finals after winning four straight. But given the recent French Open thriller, ESPN may be most excited for a Roland-Garros rematch.
Alcaraz and Sinner join the women’s final matchup of Iga Świątek and American Amanda Anisimova, who stunned Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. The 23-year-old did not qualify for the main draw last year at Wimbledon and in 2023 took a year off to focus on her mental health. Anisimova is less known to the U.S. audience than other Americans like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, both of whom were eliminated early in the tournament, but Anisimova’s Cinderella run certainly creates more intrigue for ESPN.
The total prize money for the tournament is a record £53.5 million, roughly equivalent to $72.2 million. The winner on both the men’s and women’s sides will each receive £3 million (about $4.05 million), while the runner-up takes home £1.52 million (about $2.05 million). Fritz and Djokovic walk away with £775,000 apiece (about $1.05 million).
