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Jannik Sinner defended his Wimbledon title, beating Alexander Zverev in a four-set final: 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4.
Jannik Sinner poses with the winners trophy after defeating Alexander Zverev. (AP Photo)
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner underlined his dominance on grass by defending his Wimbledon crown with a composed four-set victory over Alexander Zverev on Sunday, overcoming a first-set setback to retain the title in a high-quality Centre Court final. Sinner recovered after dropping a tense opening-set tie-break before taking control of a contest dictated for long stretches by powerful serving.
Sinner eventually wore down the French Open champion to seal a 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 triumph.
“You can feel the nerves on Sunday morning, it is a very special place,” said Sinner, who did not surrender a service break and saved the lone break point he faced during the match. “You never know how many times you are going to come back. I never take it for granted.”
The victory earned the Italian his first Grand Slam title since lifting the Wimbledon trophy a year ago, with persistence proving decisive in a gruelling battle that lasted three hours and 46 minutes. Sinner struck 58 winners while committing only 25 unforced errors, standing firm against a confident Zverev, who entered the final riding a 13-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments.
“It has been an amazing final once again. It takes two players,” Sinner said after collecting the winner’s cheque worth £3.6 million ($4.8 million). “I’m very happy about the win but I’m mostly very happy about the level we played.”
The triumph also marked Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title, moving him to within two majors of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz. It was also his 100th match victory across tennis’ four Grand Slam events, another milestone in a season that has firmly established him as the player to beat.
Only weeks ago, Sinner had suffered the disappointment of squandering a two-set lead in a shock second-round French Open defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. At Wimbledon, however, his only serious scare came in the opening round, where he recovered from behind to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets. From that point onward, the 24-year-old surged through the draw, further cementing his growing reputation as one of the sport’s most formidable grass-court players.
The title improved Sinner’s record for the season to an outstanding 44 wins against just three defeats and delivered his sixth trophy of the year.
For Zverev, reaching the final represented his deepest run at Wimbledon after never previously advancing beyond the quarter-finals in nine appearances. The German managed to take a set off Sinner for the first time in seven meetings, but was ultimately unable to halt a losing streak that has now stretched to 10 matches against the Italian. Despite the defeat, Zverev is set to overtake Alcaraz and rise to world number two in the ATP rankings on Monday.
“At 29 years old, it’s the first time I actually believe I can win this trophy,” said the second seed.
The opening set remained on serve throughout, with Zverev saving the only break point before edging a dramatic tie-break. The first 15 points followed serve, both players fought off set points, and the German finally claimed the advantage with a blistering forehand winner.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with neither player creating a break opportunity. Once again the contest was decided in a tie-break, but this time Sinner raised his level, racing through it to square the match.
The momentum shifted in the third set when Zverev earned his first break point of the afternoon in the seventh game. Sinner erased the danger with a delicate drop-shot winner, though the point ended in worrying fashion as Zverev slipped, clutching his knee. Sinner immediately crossed the net to check on his opponent before helping him back to his feet as Centre Court watched anxiously.
Sinner capitalised soon after.
Zverev’s serve finally faltered in the following game, with frustration spilling over as the German hurled his racquet after sending a forehand long on break point, ending a remarkable rally that had briefly left Sinner sprawled on the grass. The top seed then served out the set to love, finishing with an ace to move within one set of retaining the title.
Zverev continued to fight in the fourth set, but Sinner delivered the decisive blow with another break for a 4-3 lead. The Italian closed out the championship on serve after a gripping final game that featured two of the match’s finest rallies, dropping to the turf in celebration after firing a forehand winner on his first championship point.
With AFP Inputs
About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
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