Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon campaign started with a challenge, requiring five sets to overcome Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round. However, the Italian player's performance steadily improved, culminating in a dominant semifinal victory over Novak Djokovic and an almost flawless display against Zverev in the final match.

Against an opponent known for his powerful attacking style, Sinner served exceptionally, facing only one break-point throughout the entire match. He maintained resilient defense from the baseline to neutralize pressure, while capitalizing on the rare opportunities that arose in the final two sets to decide the match.

Sinner celebrates his title after the Wimbledon final on Center Court, All England Club, London, England on 12/7. Photo: Reuters

Before the final, Zverev had a significantly weaker head-to-head record, having lost nine consecutive matches to Sinner and dropping 14 consecutive sets. However, winning his first career Roland Garros title last month gave the German player increased confidence entering the match.

For approximately the first set and a half, Zverev played some of his best attacking tennis in a major match. The German player served excellently, achieving a 76% first-serve success rate, with an average speed of 212 km/h on his first serve and about 183 km/h on his second. However, in a five-set match, he could not maintain that intensity.

While Zverev gradually revealed his familiar forehand weakness at critical moments, Sinner combined consistent serving with tenacious defense, intelligent drop shots and lobs, and effective return-of-serve to fully control the final two sets.

This is Sinner's fifth Grand Slam title, bringing his record in major finals to five wins and two losses. Despite dominating the ATP Tour with five consecutive championships and a 29-match winning streak in best-of-three-sets tournaments, Sinner had to wait until this year's Wimbledon to add another Grand Slam after his title at the All England Club last year.

This victory further demonstrates the remarkable composure of the world's number one player. Just over a month ago, he experienced one of the most painful defeats of his career, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of Roland Garros, despite leading by two sets and 5-1 in the third set. For many players, such a shock could have a lasting impact, but Sinner quickly recovered.

A year ago, he also fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final before avenging that loss against the Spanish opponent to win his first Wimbledon. The ability to overcome major setbacks in a short time is becoming one of Sinner's defining qualities on his path to legendary status.

On the other side of the net, the biggest question mark for Zverev remained his forehand. From the start of the match, he actively used this shot to attack more. Despite making several unforced errors, this assertiveness helped him win the first set after a thrilling tie-break. At 8-7, Zverev hit an excellent down-the-line forehand to close out the opening set.

Zverev (right) congratulates Sinner after the Wimbledon final on Center Court, All England Club, London, England on 12/7. Photo: Reuters

However, the match dynamic did not change afterward. Both players continued to compete with high-quality service games, pushing the second set to a tie-break. This time, two consecutive forehand errors from Zverev early in the crucial tie-break allowed Sinner to pull ahead and level the score.

The first break-point of the match did not appear until the middle of the third set. While leading 40-30 in his service game at 3-4, Zverev unexpectedly committed a double fault, followed by consecutive forehand errors. Sinner fully capitalized on the opportunity, securing the break after a brilliant save despite slipping, before applying further pressure that led to more errors from his opponent.

Having gained the advantage in the third set, Sinner gave Zverev no chance to recover. In the fourth set, Sinner faced significant pressure in a service game at 1-2, 15-30, but maintained absolute composure. He consecutively scored three aces to hold his game, demonstrating his vastly improved serving ability—a decisive factor in the final.

The Italian star concluded the match in four sets to successfully defend his Wimbledon title and further solidify his position as the world's best male tennis player.

After the decisive point, the world number one collapsed onto the court in celebration. This was the second-longest match of his career (3 hours 46 minutes) and also made Sinner the 10th player to successfully defend the Wimbledon men's singles championship since the Open Era began in 1968.

Despite losing to Sinner for the 10th consecutive time, Zverev will surpass Carlos Alcaraz—who is currently sidelined due to a wrist injury—to climb to world number two in the ATP rankings announced on 13/7.

Vy Anh