Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon crown on Sunday, battling back from a set down to defeat French Open champion Alexander Zverev in four sets and claim his fifth Grand Slam title.
The world number one produced another composed display on Centre Court, recovering from an opening-set loss to secure a 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 victory after three hours and 46 minutes.
The triumph marked Sinner’s first major title since winning Wimbledon a year ago and took his Grand Slam tally to five. It also saw the Italian register his 100th career victory at Grand Slam tournaments.
Despite a match dominated by powerful serving, Sinner remained patient and clinical, striking 58 winners while committing only 25 unforced errors to outclass a determined Zverev.
The 24-year-old has now put behind him the disappointment of his French Open second-round exit to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, where he squandered a two-set advantage.
At Wimbledon, Sinner survived an early scare by rallying from behind to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic in a gruelling five-set first-round encounter before cruising through the remainder of the tournament.
His latest triumph further underlined his growing dominance on grass, improving his impressive record for the season to 44 wins and just three defeats, while earning him a sixth title of the year.
Zverev, meanwhile, arrived at the final in superb form after ending his long wait for a maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and carrying a 13-match winning streak in majors into the championship match.
The German made a strong start, claiming the opening set in a tense tie-break after saving the only break point of the set.
He became the first player in seven meetings to take a set off Sinner, but was unable to maintain that momentum as his losing streak against the Italian extended to 10 matches.
The second set also went the distance without a service break, but Sinner raised his level in the tie-break to restore parity.
A pivotal moment came in the third set when Zverev earned his first break point of the contest.
However, he slipped while chasing a drop shot, briefly clutching his knee before Sinner crossed the net to check on his opponent. After receiving treatment, Zverev continued, but the momentum had shifted.
Sinner broke serve in the following game after Zverev’s delivery faltered, with the frustrated German hurling his racket following a costly forehand error. The Italian calmly served out the set with an ace to move within one set of retaining his title.
Although Zverev fought hard to force a comeback, Sinner delivered the decisive break for a 4-3 lead in the fourth set before confidently serving out the match.
The encounter ended with a thrilling final game featuring two spectacular rallies, and Sinner sealed victory with a forehand winner on his first championship point before collapsing onto the grass in celebration.
Despite the defeat, Zverev’s run to his maiden Wimbledon final will lift him above Carlos Alcaraz to world number two in the ATP rankings.
