Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner traded their tennis whites for some very sharp cocktail wear on Sunday night as the two new Wimbledon singles champions starred at the Champions Dinner.
Swiatek won the women’s tournament in just 57 minutes, double-bageling American Amanda Anisimova in emphatic fashion on Saturday, to become the first Polish singles champion.
Then on Sunday, Sinner took on double defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second installment of a growing rivalry at the top of men’s tennis, avenging his defeat from the French Open just over a month ago.
As is traditional at Wimbledon, the two champions featured at a special dinner marking the end of another Championships at SW19.
Both stars were dressed for the occasion – Swiatek wore a glamourous lilac gown by Stella McCartney worth more than $2,000, and Sinner, who is an ambassador for Italian fashion house Gucci, a dark suit and tie with a pair of the brand’s signature loafers.
And overcoming any potential awkwardness, the two champions gamely shared an adorable dance on stage to applause and cheers.
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek traded their tennis whites for some sharp cocktail wear on Sunday evening
The two new singles champions shared an adorable dance on stage to applause from the crowd
Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title, while Swiatek has picked up her sixth major crown
The Champions Dinner used to feature a formal ball to commemorate the tournament, however the musical element was scrapped decades ago.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams notably danced to Night Fever by the Bee Gees back in 2015 in a playful take on the former tradition, though the feature has not yet returned formally.
The Italian revealed to BBC Sport how emotional he was after securing a memorable four-set victory over Alcaraz for his fourth major crown, describing it as ‘the most amazing thing’ that could have happened to him.
‘Only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court, and it has been everything except easy,’ he said.
‘[It is] very emotional, even if I don’t cry. To share this moment with my whole family here, it’s the most amazing thing that could have happened to me.’
Sinner’s victory comes just 10 weeks after he returned from a three-month ban following two positive tests for banned substance clostebol.
Meanwhile, Swiatek, whose final was far more routine in its brutality, admitted her triumph was beyond even her own dreams.
‘It seems super surreal,’ the now-six-time Grand Slam champion admitted.
‘Honestly, I didn’t even dream of winning Wimbledon because it was way too far. I feel like I’m an experienced player, having won other Slams, but I didn’t expect this.’
