Jannik Sinner was forced to surrender the Wimbledon winner’s trophy less than 30 minutes after it was presented to him, following a tradition that dates back to the 1880s. The Italian defeated Alexander Zverev 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the 2026 men’s singles final to retain his crown, but the iconic 18-inch cup never left the All England Lawn Tennis Club grounds. Instead, Sinner received a three-quarter-sized replica engraved with the names of all previous champions.
Tradition Rooted in 19th-Century Rules
The All England Club resolved in the 1880s that the trophy would never again become the permanent property of the winner. This decision followed the earlier loss of two trophies—the Field Cup and the Challenge Cup—to William Renshaw, who had won the tournament three consecutive times on two occasions. Since then, the original trophy remains at the club, and winners take home only a replica.
Post-Match Ceremony and Trophy Handover
After his on-court victory speech, Sinner was shown the updated honours board inside the Centre Court tunnel by Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club. He then met with Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, escorted by outgoing AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton. Later, Sinner posed for photographs on the balcony, displaying the trophy to the crowd below. He then celebrated privately with his team, including coach Darren Cahill.
As Sinner enjoyed the moment, former British No. 1 Tim Henman commented on BBC One: "He's done well to hold on to the trophy that long." Almost immediately, Sally Bolton reappeared to retrieve the trophy. Henman added: "Sally Bolton the chief executive, there she goes. 'You've had enough of that!'" BBC presenter Clare Balding chimed in: "That's it for another year! He'll get the three-quarter-sized replica which will go home with him. He can eat pineapples with a smile on his face for the rest of his life."
Sinner Reflects on Victory
Earlier, Sinner addressed the Centre Court crowd, expressing his joy at retaining the title. The five-time Grand Slam champion said: "We both started off very well, serving very fast. We prepared in the best possible way, me and my team. I have to thank the whole team, the whole support I get from the whole box. My mum, I see her, she left the stadium a couple of times."
He added: "Being a player it's not easy, you know? (laughs) But in the same time it's been an amazing final once again. It always takes two players, and me and Sascha try to give everything we have. I'm very happy of course about the win but I'm mostly very happy about the level we both played."
Sinner also praised the fans, saying: "You [the fans] are the reason. There is no better place honestly to play tennis, standing here. You can feel the nerves on the Sunday morning when you wake up. You know that this is a very, very special day and you never know how many times you can come back on Sunday."
