For the second year in a row, Jannik Sinner responded to adversity in Paris with a title at Wimbledon. The world number one defeated Alexander Zverev this Sunday 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3 and 6-4 to lift the British Grand Slam trophy for the second time in a row.
The final started evenly. Zverev took the first set in a tight tiebreaker, but Sinner responded in the second. The match changed in the third set when Zverev slipped and appeared to hyperextend his right knee. Although he continued, the German lost serve and Sinner closed the set.
“This one means a lot because it was a tough one after Paris again,” Sinner declared. “I’m proud of myself and my team.”
The road to recovery
At Roland Garros, Sinner had fallen in the second round after a streak of 30 victories. He underwent tests in Milan and did not play again until Wimbledon, where he needed five sets in the first round. He then didn’t drop a set in the rest of the tournament, including a dominant semi-final against Novak Djokovic.
Darren Cahill, one of his coaches, highlighted the Italian’s maturity: “That he can take a hit in the stomach like that and come back. That makes us feel very proud.”
Sinner added his fifth Grand Slam title, with 58 winners compared to Zverev’s 49 and only 25 unforced errors. In addition, he became the first player since Roger Federer (2003) not to give up a service game in the Wimbledon semifinals and final.
Zverev, for his part, achieved his best result in the tournament. “I’m 29 years old and this is the first time I really believe I can win this trophy,” he said. The German will rise to second place in the ranking this Monday.
Prince William, Kate and their children watched the final from the Royal Box, along with figures such as Nicole Kidman and Ben Stiller. Sinner closed the ceremony with a phrase: “There is no better place to play tennis.”




