Sinner beats Zverev in thriller to retain Wimbledon title

Jannik Sinner hits a return during the men's singles final between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Alexander Zverev of Germany at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Britain, July 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner retained his Wimbledon men's singles title on Sunday, defeating Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 to claim his fifth Grand Slam title.

The Italian needed three hours and 46 minutes to overcome second seed Zverev in a high-quality final on Center Court, securing his first major title of the 2026 season.

With the victory, Sinner became the 10th player in the Open Era to successfully defend the Wimbledon men's singles crown.

"It has been an amazing final once again. It always takes two players," Sinner said after the match. "I'm very happy about the win but also about the level we played."

Zverev made an aggressive start, taking the opening set in a tiebreak after producing confident baseline tennis and serving strongly. The German, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last month, continued to challenge Sinner in the second set before the Italian prevailed in another tiebreak to level the match.

Sinner gradually took control in the final two sets with consistent serving, solid baseline play and effective returning, breaking serve once in each set to seal victory.

The result extended Sinner's winning streak against Zverev to 10 matches.

Despite the defeat, Zverev praised his opponent. "He showed once again why he is the best player in the world," the German said.

Sinner described the title as particularly meaningful after a challenging period earlier this season, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinal and suffered an early exit at the French Open.

"We put in a lot of work in Monaco," Sinner said. "Having this achievement means a lot to me."

The 24-year-old said his performances improved throughout the tournament and credited his team for helping him prepare both physically and mentally.

For Zverev, the tournament marked his best Wimbledon result. The 29-year-old had never previously reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club before advancing to his first final this year.

"We had a pretty good two months, even though we lost this final," Zverev said. "We came into Wimbledon having never reached the quarterfinals, and we reached a first final. At 29, this is the first time I believed I could win this trophy."

Sinner has now won five Grand Slam singles titles, including two Wimbledon championships, further consolidating his position at the top of the ATP rankings.