Sinner beats Zverev to retain Wimbledon title after marathon battle
The win placed Italy’s Sinner in rare company as the 10th man in the professional era to successfully defend the title
Jannik Sinner retained his Wimbledon title by beating Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7) 7-6 (2) 6-3 6-4 in the final on Sunday to claim his fifth grand slam crown and extend his dominance over the German to 10 straight victories.
The win placed the Italian in rare company as the 10th man in the professional era to successfully defend the title, strengthening his credentials as one of the dominant players of his generation while he chases down big rival Carlos Alcaraz’s seven majors.
Both finalists slugged it out for 12 games in a high-octane first set on a warm and windy afternoon, before Zverev moved up a gear and hit a powerful forehand winner to clinch a gripping tiebreak, yelling and crouching down in celebration.
The clean ball-striking continued but Zverev began to show signs of frustration late in the second set, where a much more animated Sinner gained the upper hand in the tiebreak and went on to level the contest at one set apiece.