LONDON – Jannik Sinner defended his Wimbledon title in an exhausting tactical contest which spanned three hours and 46 minutes in Centre Court by clinching a 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over second-seed Alexander Zverev. The win means that Sinner is now defending back to back titles at the All England Club, his career Grand Slam titles count has gone up to five, and it's his 100th career Grand Slam win.
In the marquee clash, Sinner showcased his accuracy on the baseline while Zverev came back into form after clinching his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. However, it all came down to Sinner's incredible serve and tactical adjustments during the game to take his unbeaten head-to-head record against the German to 10 wins.
Redemption After Paris Heartbreak
In Sinner’s case, the route to the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy in 2026 has been driven by an urge to redeem himself. Not even a month has passed since he got knocked out of Roland Garros in round two against world No. 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo after failing to win a close set under extremely challenging physical conditions. Having undergone extensive medical tests in Milan as well as several weeks of intense training under the scorching sun of Monaco, Sinner traveled to London in an effort to get back on track for his season.
Indeed, he managed to do that. Coming from a five-set battle in round one against Miomir Kecmanovic, Sinner found his form and went on to sweep through the rest of the tournament without losing a set en route to the final, where he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the semi-finals without facing a break point.
A Serve-Dominant Chess Match
Right from the get-go, the match became nothing but an absolute serve-off. Zverev started the match by playing very aggressive and attacking tennis, with first serves clocking at 139 mph (224 kph). Sinner was mainly dependent on his amazing placements.
During the first set, Zverev managed to break the rhythm of Sinner, which resulted in him committing 20 forced errors. Sinner managed to save a set point with his incredible drop shot, but Zverev stayed focused and won the set 9-7 with his thunderous forehand winner.
Like the first set, both players held their serve stubbornly, with neither one giving any inch. But Sinner’s coaches, including Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, saw their charge pull off an important move in the middle of the match when Sinner retreated from his deep return spot and moved up toward the baseline. And that move paid off big time when Sinner, playing aggressive defense against Zverev’s historically good serve, took advantage of successive forehand mistakes from the German in the second-set tiebreak 7-2.
|
Match Statistics |
Jannik Sinner |
Alexander Zverev |
|---|---|---|
|
Aces |
15 |
17 |
|
First Serve % |
64% |
76% |
|
First Serve Points Won % |
80% |
72% |
|
Unforced Errors |
25 |
45 |
|
Break Points Converted |
2 / 5 |
0 / 1 |
|
Total Points Won |
145 |
130 |
