Jannik Sinner has made a habit of responding to Parisian heartbreak with Wimbledon glory. Six weeks after his 30-match winning streak ended in a shocking second-round collapse at the French Open, the world number one beat Alexander Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to defend his All England Club title and claim a fifth Grand Slam — his second consecutive at Wimbledon.
When Sinner ripped a forehand winner up the line on his first match point, he fell onto his back on the grass — an unusually dramatic celebration from a player known for measured composure. It was the kind of release that only made sense in context.
“This one means a lot because it was a tough one after Paris again,” Sinner said during the trophy ceremony. “I’m proud of myself and my team, which continues to push me in the right direction.”
What Happened in Paris — and How Sinner Came Back
The French Open defeat was jarring. Sinner had won 30 consecutive matches and was within one game of a straight-sets victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the world number 56, when the Paris heat wave unravelled him entirely. He underwent medical examinations in Milan after the defeat and did not play an official match again until he arrived at Wimbledon.
His opening match here was a five-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanovic in which he twice came back from a set down. From the second round onward, he did not drop another set until Sunday’s final — a run that included a dominant semifinal victory over Novak Djokovic in which he did not concede a single service game.
“It goes to show the maturity of the player that we’re working with,” said his coach Darren Cahill. “That he can take a kick in the guts like that. What makes us the most proud of him is the way he comes back from those. It doesn’t put him down for too long.”
How the Final Unfolded
The match was extraordinarily competitive until a moment of physical misfortune shifted its course. The first set went to a tiebreak that Zverev claimed with a forehand winner up the line — the German’s first set won against Sinner in 15 attempts across their rivalry, prompting a roar of celebration toward his box. But Sinner responded by reading Zverev’s serve more clearly in the second-set tiebreak, and as Zverev began to miss forehands, the Italian levelled the match comfortably 7-2 in the breaker.
The decisive moment came in the third set at 3-3. Zverev had earned the only break point of the match when he slipped on the grass attempting to change direction behind the baseline and appeared to hyperextend his right knee. Sinner went around the net to help his opponent up — a moment of sportsmanship the crowd acknowledged — and Zverev quickly resumed, but he was visibly hampered. He slung his racket in frustration when he missed a forehand on the break point, handing Sinner a 5-3 lead. Sinner served out the third set and eventually the match.
Sinner produced 58 winners to Zverev’s 49, with just 25 unforced errors against Zverev’s 45. In a match of high serve quality — Zverev hit up to 139 mph, leading 17-15 in aces — it was Sinner’s return and groundstroke consistency that proved decisive across four sets.
The victory extended Sinner’s head-to-head lead over Zverev to 10-0. It also made him the first player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles without conceding a service game in either the semifinals or the final since Roger Federer achieved the same in 2003, en route to the first of his record eight titles. Sinner faced one break point in each of those two matches and saved both.
Despite the defeat, Zverev will move up to world number two on Monday, leapfrogging Carlos Alcaraz, who missed both the French Open and Wimbledon with a right wrist injury. “I’m 29 years old and this is the first time I actually believe I can win this trophy,” Zverev said. “He showed once again why he’s the best player in the world.”
Prince William attended the final alongside Princess Kate and two of their children in a Royal Box that also included Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, and Ben Stiller.
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