Jannik Sinner won his second straight Wimbledon title after beating Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles final on Monday.
The Italian won 6 7(7), 7 6(2), 6 3, 6 4 to lift his fifth Grand Slam title. The win also stretched Sinner’s winning run over Zverev to 10 matches.
Sinner became only the 10th man in the Open Era to defend the Wimbledon men’s singles title. The world number one also moved one step closer to rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has won seven Grand Slam titles.
“There’s no better place, honestly, to play tennis,” Sinner said after the match.
“I’m standing here. You can feel the nerves in a Sunday morning when you wake up, that this is a very special day, and you never know how many times you can come back. So I never take things for granted.
“Playing in front of very special people throughout the two weeks. It’s been amazing. Thanks for the support. You’re always amazing to me and you gave me the most special feeling a tennis player can ever feel.”
The opening set was very close. Both players held their serve before Zverev won the tie break to take an early lead.
Sinner answered in the second set. He played better in another tie break and levelled the match at one set each.
The turning point came in the third set.
Zverev slipped while chasing a drop shot and fell to the ground. He grabbed his right knee in pain but continued after a short delay.
Sinner broke serve in the next game to move 5 3 ahead. He then closed out the set to take control of the final.
The Italian carried that form into the fourth set. He broke serve again for a 4 3 lead and stayed calm to finish the match.
Sinner fell to the grass in celebration after sealing another Wimbledon crown.
For Zverev, it was another painful finish. The German has now lost all four Grand Slam finals he has played.
“I don’t really like you anymore,” Zverev joked after the match.
“Congratulations to Jannik, he showed once again why he’s the best player in the world. It was great to share Centre Court with you on the finals weekend. It’s a great honour to be here. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way.”
