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Wimbledon

Every Sinner has a Future

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LONDON – (Wire Service Report) – Italy’s Jannik Sinner found another Wimbledon title waiting on the other side of disappointment in Paris.

The world No. 1 successfully defended his championship at the All England Club on Sunday, rallying past Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court. Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title came in his first tournament since a second-round collapse at the French Open ended his 30-match winning streak.

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It marked the second straight year the Italian star responded to a painful Roland Garros exit by lifting the trophy in London. Last year, Sinner arrived at Wimbledon after letting three championship points slip away against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the French Open final.

“There is no better place to play tennis,” Sinner said afterward. “You can feel the nerves Sunday morning waking up and it is a very special day and you never know how many times you will be able to come back on Sunday, so I never take things for granted.”

Zverev gave Sinner little room early Sunday. The German repeatedly leaned on his serve and captured a tight opening-set tiebreaker, ending a run of 14 consecutive sets lost to Sinner.

Sinner answered by taking control of the second tiebreaker. The first break point for either player did not arrive until the third set, more than 2 1/2 hours into the match.

That game also raised the biggest concern of the final. Zverev slipped behind the baseline while trying to change direction on a Sinner drop shot and grabbed his right knee. He kept playing after Sinner crossed the net to help him up, but soon missed a forehand, losing the first break of the match and falling behind 5-3.

Sinner served out the third set, then struck again in the fourth. He held the advantage until match point, when a forehand winner down the line ended the contest and sent him onto his back on the grass in celebration.

“It has been an amazing final once again and it always takes two players and Sascha (Zverev’s nickname) and I tried to give everything we had,” Sinner said. “I am very happy about the win, but also the level that we both played.”

Sinner had a 58-49 edge in winners and committed just 25 unforced errors to Zverev’s 45.

The victory extended Sinner’s winning streak against Zverev to 10 matches and made him the 10th man in the Open Era to successfully defend the Wimbledon singles title.

“I’m very happy that I’m trying to do my best every day,” Sinner said. “Sometimes you have a tournament with a good outcome, and sometimes you just don’t.

“There is no failure if you don’t win a Grand Slam. Now I have five in my whole life. We talk about five Grand Slams, but that’s five days out of so many other days. These are very, very rare days.

“You just want to enjoy it. Today was a very tough day. If I lose, it’s still a great day. Playing a Grand Slam final, it’s so rare and so special.”

Zverev was looking for his second straight major championship. He won the French Open last month.

“At 29 years old, this is the first time that I believe I can actually win this trophy,” Zverev said of the Wimbledon hardware. “… We had a pretty good two months even though we lost this final. An amazing two months.”

–Field Level Media

Sinner Takes Down Alcaraz

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WIMBLEDON – (Wire Service Report) – World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy built an early advantage and shook off some late jitters to finish a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon on Sunday, giving Sinner his first win at Wimbledon and fourth Grand Slam win ever.

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Sinner shook off an opening set loss to notch the major victory at the All England Club.

Previously a two-time winner at the Australian Open (2024, 2025) and a champion at the US Open in 2024, the Wimbledon win was his first Grand Slam final victory over Alcaraz and left him just the French Open — where he finished as runner-up this year — remaining to give him the rare career Grand Slam.

“Back in the days, when I was young, this was only a dream,” Sinner said. “I’m just living a dream.”

Making his first Wimbledon championship all the sweeter, Sinner ended a five-match losing streak to Alcaraz and ended the Spaniard’s 24-match winning streak.

In his first Grand Slam victory off of hard courts, the 23-year-old Sinner actually emerged as a winner as a slight underdog, as Alcaraz, 22, came in with an 8-4 advantage in head-to-head results.

A much anticipated rematch of an epic French Open final in June in which Alcaraz won a five-set marathon that lasted five hours, 29 minutes — the longest Roland Garros final ever — Sinner wrapped this one up in a tidy three hours, six minutes.

“It’s so special,” Sinner said. “I had a very tough loss in Paris. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter how you win.”

Sinner led 4-2 in the fourth set with a 2-1 set advantage and dropped a game before falling behind 40-15 in the eighth, but the Italian rallied to win that game and wrestle back control of the set at 5-3. From there, he put the finishing touches on with a commanding finishing game.

“Every moment can change the match, so I’m very happy I held my nerves.”

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Utilizing a strong serve and playing aggressively near the net for much of the match, Sinner had 30 net points and 81 service points in earning 40 winners.

Alcaraz had 15 aces but was hurt by seven double faults.

“It’s always difficult to lose, even when it’s in the final,” Alcaraz said, pointing to a great off-court relationship with Sinner with an equally good on-court rivalry that has pushed him to get better. “Thank you very much, and congratulations.”

After dispatching Taylor Fritz in four sets on Friday, Alcaraz eventually became the betting favorite to take home his third consecutive Wimbledon title. Sinner swept through 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic to set up the rematch final.

–Field Level Media