Jannik Sinner, the world number one, successfully defended his Wimbledon men’s singles title, overcoming Alexander Zverev in a four-set final. The Italian secured his victory with a score of 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 6-4 at the All England Club.
The match, which lasted three hours and 46 minutes, saw Sinner gradually assert control after losing the opening set. This win marks Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title and his second consecutive Wimbledon trophy, making him the tenth man to retain the men’s trophy since the Open era began in 1968.
Sinner’s path to victory
Sinner’s triumph follows a period of mixed results earlier in the year. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals and experienced a second-round exit at the French Open, despite arriving with a 29-match winning streak. Following his unexpected loss in Paris, Sinner took a break from competitive action, not participating in any tournaments leading up to Wimbledon.
This decision to rest both physically and mentally, and to address issues with playing in hot conditions, appears to have been beneficial. Sinner showed some early vulnerability in the tournament, needing five sets to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, but his confidence and form grew throughout the fortnight.
His performance against Djokovic in the semi-finals demonstrated his high level of play, which he needed to maintain to overcome Zverev. Sinner served effectively, limiting Zverev to only one break point, and displayed strong baseline defence against his opponent’s aggressive tactics. He capitalised on his opportunities in the final two sets.
This victory adds to Sinner’s impressive record, as he has now won his past 10 matches against Zverev. He boasts a 44-3 win-loss record this year, securing his sixth title of the season.
Zverev’s determined challenge
Alexander Zverev, the German second seed, played with confidence and boldness throughout the final. He had recently achieved his maiden Grand Slam victory at the French Open, and was looking to build on that success at Wimbledon. Zverev will move above the injured Carlos Alcaraz to second in the world rankings on Monday.
Despite his strong performance, Zverev was unable to break his 10-match losing streak against Sinner. He had not won any of their previous 13 sets before this final, including a significant loss in the Madrid Open final in May.
Zverev’s strategy involved a more attacking approach, stepping closer to the baseline and taking more risks with his forehand. This bold tactic paid off in the first set, which he won. He managed to maintain his game plan for much of the match, despite the challenge.
A crucial moment occurred in the third set when Zverev had his only break point at 3-3. However, he slipped while attempting to reach a Sinner drop-shot. Although he quickly indicated he was not seriously injured, the momentum of the match shifted. Zverev expressed satisfaction with his overall performance in recent months, noting that reaching his first Wimbledon final was a significant achievement, especially given he had never reached the quarter-finals in his nine previous visits. He stated, “At 29, this is the first time I believed I could win this trophy.”
The final featured high-quality tennis that captivated the Centre Court audience, which included the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with Hollywood personalities Nicole Kidman and Ben Stiller. Sinner’s relief was evident as he celebrated his hard-fought victory.
Zverev saved the only break point of a tight first set, which went to a tie-break, eventually clinching it with a forehand winner. The second set also saw no break points, leading to another tie-break where Sinner levelled the match. In the third set, after Zverev’s slip, Sinner broke his serve and then served out the set with an ace. Sinner secured the title by breaking Zverev’s serve for a 4-3 advantage in the fourth set, wrapping up the match on his first match point.
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Source: bbc.com
