Jannik Sinner lifted the Wimbledon trophy for a second consecutive year on Sunday, outlasting Alexander Zverev in four tight sets to defend his title and claim a fifth grand slam. The world No 1 had won his previous nine matches against Zverev, taking 14 sets in a row, but this final was far closer, hinging on a crucial break in the third set that could have gone either way.
“Big, big respect to Sascha, because he's doing something amazing,” Sinner said of Zverev, who ended his own long wait for a grand slam at last month’s French Open. “His game is growing and growing. In the same time, that's exactly what's good, because you have always someone who is pushing you to the limit.”
“Jannik Sinner outlasts Alexander Zverev in four sets to defend his Wimbledon title and win fifth grand slam.”
Sinner then turned his thoughts to the absent Carlos Alcaraz, sidelined by a wrist injury and attempting to return for the hard-court season. “We hope that Carlos is coming back, as well, because tennis needs him,” Sinner added. “Having Novak [Djokovic] still around, having all the young players coming, it's really, really nice. At the same time, you always need to work hard and have moments like this.”
The Italian’s path to glory mirrored his 2025 campaign. A year ago, he recovered from a painful French Open final defeat to Alcaraz — when he squandered three championship points — to beat the Spaniard and win his first Wimbledon. This time, he suffered a shock second-round exit at Roland Garros, wilting in the Paris heat and losing from two sets up against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He arrived at the All England Club without a single warm-up match on grass, found his form gradually, then thumped Djokovic in the semi-finals before overcoming Zverev.
“I think every grand slam is different, you know. Different story, different environment, different feelings before the tournament,” Sinner said. “For me this one means a lot because was a tough one after Paris again. Last year was also tough. But coming here, I tried to put myself in the best possible position to be as competitive as possible. We put in a lot of workdays in Monaco, very, very long. Definitely sacrificing a lot of my time and everything to be in this position. Having this achievement, it means a lot to me. It was an amazing day today.”
Zverev, who will rise to world No 2 after the tournament, was encouraged by his run to a first Wimbledon final despite extending his losing streak against Sinner to 10 matches. Asked if the gap was closing, he replied: “I think [so] yeah.” For Sinner, the victory cements his status at the top — but with Alcaraz plotting a comeback and Zverev closing in, the fight for supremacy is only just beginning.