Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon crown and claimed his fifth Grand Slam title with a comeback victory over No.2 seed Alexander Zverev. The Italian top seed rallied from a set down to win 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-4, securing his 100th Grand Slam match win and a staggering £3.6m prize cheque — £600,000 more than he earned for lifting the trophy last year.
Comeback Victory Over Zverev
Sinner, 24, extended his winning streak over French Open champion Zverev to 10 matches, but it was far from easy. The defending champion was at risk of an early exit in the first round when he trailed world No.50 Miomir Kecmanovic by two sets to love. However, after wilting in the heat at the recent French Open and losing in five sets, Sinner completed his redemption by winning his first Major title of the season.
The opening three hours of the final were played on a knife-edge, with zero breaks of serve. For much of the first two sets, Zverev was the better player. Sinner never seemed completely comfortable and shanked a forehand while holding a break point in the eighth game of the match. The German won a high-quality tiebreak on his second match point with a forehand winner that landed right in the corner.
Turning Point in the Second Set
At the two-hour mark, the pair headed into a second-set tiebreak, and the No.1 seed finally stepped up. Sinner fired on the forehand side and raced into a 4-0 lead as Zverev leaked errors and only managed to win two points in the breaker. For the first time, the French Open champion no longer looked the most comfortable on the court.
Two hours and 42 minutes into the match, Zverev finally had a look at his first break point. But the 29-year-old German slipped at the back of the court as Sinner saved it with a dropshot, and the Italian rushed over. Everyone held their breath, remembering what had happened to Zverev in the 2022 French Open semi-finals, when he fell on court and snapped multiple ligaments in his ankle, retiring immediately.
Zverev's Fall and Sinner's Breakthrough
The No.2 seed grabbed his right knee as he got up but was able to play on immediately, and Sinner held serve to move ahead. Whether it was the missed chance or the fall, it felt like a turning point. Zverev played an error-filled game to hand Sinner the first break of the match, and the world No.1 seized his opportunity, serving out the set to love and pumping his fist.
Sinner started the seventh game of set four with a thrilling rally, looking Novak Djokovic-esque as he chased down balls, lobbed Zverev and finished with a dropshot. He finished it by slapping a forehand winner down the line to break. From there, he served out the match to claim his fifth Major title and the £3.6m winner's cheque.
