The world No. 1 had lost his last five meetings to Alcaraz, including last month’s Roland Garros final.

And in bouncing back from Roland Garros, he showed a champion’s emotional resilience.

Kudermetova and Mertens were on opposite sides in the final in 2021, where Mertens and Hsieh Su-wei beat Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina.

The 22-year-old playing for his third consecutive Wimbledon has so many admirable qualities, but they are all subordinate to joy.

Amanda Anisimova couldn’t muster a game, but her post-loss speech Saturday was a victory that won’t be forgotten, either.

The Pole is undefeated in major finals, and will play for a career Slam at the 2026 Australian Open.

“Just can’t wait for Sunday,” says the two-time defending champion.

It makes for a perfect grass-court season for the pair, who also won the titles at Queen's and Eastbourne in the run-up to Wimbledon.

“You want to play. You’re determined. But then the body doesn’t want to listen,” the Serb said after Friday's Wimbledon semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner.

The beaten Wimbledon semifinalist previewed Sunday’s championship match.

Swiatek, who is seeking her first title of the year, has played and won five Grand Slam finals, whereas Anisimova will be making her debut.