Jannik Sinner Survives Alexander Zverev Thriller to Become 10th Man in Open Era to Defend Wimbledon Title

Jannik Sinner came from a set down to outlast Alexander Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday (July 12) and became the 10th man in the Open Era to defend the title at Wimbledon. He became the first man since Carlos Alcaraz (2023 and 2024) to defend his crown at the All England Club.

In front of the Centre Court crowd, Sinner served to start the final against an opponent who was brimming with confidence since his triumph at Roland Garros. They played tennis of the highest level. The first set was a tight one, as expected. After Sinner held his serve to take a 5-4 lead, Zverev fought back and tied the score.

On the back of unforced errors from Zverev, Sinner raced to 40-0 and won the game with an ace, but couldn’t break in the next game as Zverev forced the tie-breaker, during which they fought for every point. Sascha roared as he finally took a set off the 24-year-old for the first time since the 2025 Vienna Open final. This was the second time Sinner lost the first set in the tournament following his first-round win over Miomir Kecmanovic. The set lasted for an hour and five minutes.

The second set was no different from the first, with both struggling to break each other thanks to their solid serves. Trailing 4-5, Sinner smashed his 12th ace to level the scores, and unforced errors from Zverev in the next game forced another tie-breaker. Sinner sprinted to 4-0, but his next shot went outside. Unlike the first tie-break, Sinner dominated this one and eventually leveled the scores.

At 3-3, Sinner double-faulted, and later, Zverev finally had the break point, and although he failed to convert, he slipped and fell on the court. Sinner helped him get up, and when the game resumed, he took a 4-3 lead.

And in the next game, for the first time in the match, someone converted a break point. It was Sinner, who clinched the game despite falling on the court during that rally. A frustrated Zverev flung his racket and lost his composure as Sinner raced to 40-0, and with an ace, he ended the third set in his favor.

Jannik Sinner wins his sixth title of the season at Wimbledon

Sinner served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set and, after a long rally, took a 40-30 lead. He smashed an ace and fell on the court and covered his face. Sinner successfully defended his crown on Centre Court. The 24-year-old has become the eighth man in the Open Era to win Wimbledon without competing in a warm-up tournament on grass.

Last year in the grass-court Major, the now five-time Grand Slam champion defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final. This title also his first Major win since last year’s Wimbledon as he lost to Alcaraz in the 2025 US Open final and to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal of this year’s Australian Open. He knocked the Serb out of the semifinals of this event.

Sinner lifted five trophies before arriving in London. Although he failed to reach the finals of the Australian Open and the Qatar Open, he won five consecutive titles in the first five Masters 1000 tournaments of the season, becoming the first man to do so. But his winning streak ended at the hands of Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the French Open due to severe full-body cramps.

Zverev, in Paris, beat Flavio Cobolli in an epic final to end his Grand Slam title drought, winning the title after three final defeats. He played his career’s fourth final on grass, while Sinner played his third final on the surface after wins at the 2024 Halle Open and last year’s Wimbledon.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Slams Serbian Media for Demanding Another Grand Slam Title: “It isn’t Mandatory”