Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon title with a commanding four-set victory over French Open champion Alexander Zverev in a gruelling final on Sunday.
The world number one recovered from losing a tense opening set to overcome Zverev 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 in a contest dominated by powerful serving and relentless rallies on Centre Court.
Sinner saved the only break point he faced in the match and maintained his composure throughout a three-hour, 46-minute battle to claim his fifth Grand Slam title and first major trophy since his Wimbledon triumph 12 months ago.
“You can feel the nerves on Sunday morning; it is a very special place,” said Sinner. “You never know how many times you are going to come back. I never take it for granted.”
The 24-year-old produced a superb display, hitting 58 winners against just 25 unforced errors while securing his 100th match victory at tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments.
His latest triumph leaves him two Grand Slam titles behind injured rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has five more major trophies than Sinner.
“It has been an amazing final once again. It takes two players,” Sinner said. “I’m very happy about the win but I’m mostly very happy about the level we played.”
The victory also marked a strong response after Sinner’s disappointing French Open exit, where he surrendered a two-set lead in a second-round defeat by Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
His Wimbledon campaign was briefly tested in the opening round when he needed five sets to overcome Miomir Kecmanovic, but he grew stronger as the tournament progressed and reaffirmed his status as one of the sport’s leading grass-court players.
Sinner now owns an impressive 44-3 win-loss record in 2026 after capturing his sixth title of the season.
For Zverev, the defeat ended a historic bid to become the first German man to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title since Michael Stich in 1991. Despite falling short, the 29-year-old will rise to second in the ATP rankings on Monday.
“At 29 years old, it’s the first time I actually believe I can win this trophy,” Zverev said.
Zverev falls short after tight start
The German pushed Sinner throughout the opening stages, saving the only break point of the first set before edging a tense tie-break after both players held firm on serve.
The first 15 points of the breaker went with serve before Zverev finally converted his chance with a powerful forehand winner.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with neither player creating a break opportunity before Sinner dominated the tie-break to level the match.
Zverev appeared to have a chance in the third set when he earned his first break point, but he slipped while chasing a drop shot from Sinner. After receiving treatment and regaining his footing, the German could not stop the momentum shift.
Sinner broke in the following game and took control, closing out the set with an ace.
Zverev continued to fight in the fourth set, but Sinner delivered the decisive blow by breaking for a 4-3 lead. The Italian then held his nerve in a dramatic final game, finishing with a forehand winner on his first match point before falling to the court in celebration.
AFP
