World number one Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to win his second consecutive Wimbledon title at the All England Club. It was Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title and his first tournament since a painful second-round exit at the French Open, where he suffered a shocking collapse.After sealing victory with a stunning winner in his first round of the competition, the Italian fell flat on his back on the grass to celebrate. Last year, Sinner responded to the disappointment of Roland Garros by winning Wimbledonbeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final after letting three match points slip against the Spaniard in the French Open final.The win extended Sinner’s lead over Zverev, making it his 10th straight victory over the German, who arrived at Wimbledon after winning his first Grand Slam title at the French Open.
Zverev’s injuries prove costly
The final remained level until the third set when Zverev got his first break at 3-3 after 2 hours and 42 minutes of play.Meanwhile, Sinner played a drop shot and Zverev landed on the grass while chasing. The German appeared to be straining his right knee and was unhappy.Sinner immediately walked around the net to help his opponent back to his feet. Although Zverev continued to play, he appeared frustrated by the injury.Soon after, he missed a forehand, dropped his backhand in frustration and lost his first serve of the match, allowing the Sinner to go ahead 5-3 before serving well.Before that, Zverev ended Sinner’s streak of 14 straight sets by winning the hard-fought opener. He celebrated with a loud roar from his team.Throughout the match, Zverev regularly worked his way up to 139 mph (224 kph), while Sinner relied on accurate and well-placed aces. However, as the match progressed, Sinner started to read Zverev’s serve better, especially during the second tiebreak, where the German also started to make more errors.
The perfect answer after the heartbreak of Paris
Sinner arrived at Wimbledon looking to shake off a disappointing French Open campaign.In late May, the Italian suffered a shock second defeat to world number 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo after a 30-match winning streak despite coming in one straight match in extremely hot and humid conditions.Following the defeat, Sinner took a test in Milan and did not play another match until Wimbledon.His campaign in London began with a hard-fought five-set victory over Miomir Kecmanovic after dropping out in the opening round. From then on, he did not lose another set until the final, including a dominant victory over Novak Djokovic.
Changing layouts
Even if he finishes runner-up, Zverev will move above Carlos Alcaraz to become the new world No. 2 when the rankings are updated on Monday.Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a right arm injury.
