WIMBLEDON/WASHINGTON, July 12, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
As Jannik Sinner walked out alongside Alexander Zverev to the applause of 14,979 fans, who filed Centre Court to witness the men’s singles final at the Wimbledon Championships – the most celebrated final in tennis – on a sunny and blustery, 83-degree (Fahrenheit) Sunday afternoon, the World No. 1 and defending champion looked to become the 10th player in the Open Era to successfully retain his title. He was also looking to win his first major of the year and fifth of his career.
By returning to the final this year, the 24-year-old Italian had become the third active player to reach multiple Wimbledon finals, after Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. He had beaten Zverev nine straight times – including the 2025 Australian Open final, their most-recent meeting in a major final. Their Wimbledon title match represented the fifth time they had faced each other this year – and first time since Sinner beat Zverev to win the Madrid Open in early May.
The Gentlemen’s Singles Final 💫
Jannik Sinner vs Alexander Zverev. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/bUdVoRPKMK
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
Meanwhile, Zverev was aiming to win back-to-back major titles at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon – the Channel Double – and become the first player in the Open Era to win a second Grand Slam men’s singles title at the next Grand Slam event after winning his first major title. He came into the final 18-1 in majors this year.
A victory for the 29-year-old World No. 3 would also see him become the seventh man in the Open Era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year and the third German man in history after Boris Becker and Gottfried von Cramm to win multiple Grand Slam singles titles. He would become the 24th Wimbledon men’s singles champion in the Open Era and the 67th Wimbledon men’s singles champion in history.
In their first match with both competitors being Grand Slam champions, Sinner rallied from a set down against Zverev and put together a solid performance during sets two through four to win, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4, in three hours and 46 minutes. It was Sinner’s 44th victory of the 2026 season, equaling Zverev’s total – and his 10th-straight win over Zverev.
Defence complete.
Jannik Sinner defeats Alexander Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 to win his second Wimbledon trophy. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/TejFI5DdbW
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
After being pushed to five sets in the first round before pulling out a win over Miomir Kecmanovic, Sinner marched through the remainder of the draw and saved some of his best tennis for Zverev in the final. He successfully defended his title by outpointing Zverev 145-130.
Sinner secured the title by hitting 58 winners overall – including 15 aces – while committing 25 unforced errors. He won 80 percent (70 of 87) percent of his first-serve points, made only two double faults, converted two of five break points and saved the only break point he faced. By comparison, Zverev hit 17 aces and struck 49 winners to 45 unforced errors.
It’s his once again 🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Iw2GEd5Ag5
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
“We both started off very well. We prepared in the best possible way, me and my team, so I have to thank the whole team and the whole support I get from the whole box. It has been an amazing final once again and it always takes two players and Sascha and I tried to give everything we had,” Sinner said during the trophy presentation after receiving the champion’s trophy from Catherine, Princess of Wales and Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. “I am very happy about the win, but also the level that we both played.”
As this year’s Wimbledon champion, Sinner will receive £3,600,000 in prize money, while Zverev will collect £1,800,000 – both incredible sums of money. In total, the prize fund for the men’s singles event at this year’s Wimbledon is £23,632,000.
While both players only had to go through one Top-10 opponent to reach the final – No. 7 seed Djokovic in the semifinals for Sinner, and No. 6 seed Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals for Zverev – it proved no easy task to win Wimbledon – or, for Sinner, to retain the title.
View this post on Instagram
On serve through the seventh-game changeover of the opening set, Sinner gained his first break-point in the eighth game after Zverev served his first double fault. However, Sinner failed to convert the break point after sailing an unforced error forehand long and wide and Zverev went on to hold for 4-all. It was a missed opportunity for Sinner. However, he went toe-to-toe with Zverev in the next game and held after capturing a 10-point rally, withstanding Zverev’s ripped forehand returns. It marked the 70th straight hold against Zverev for Sinner.
Soon, Sinner hit his fifth ace for a love hold and a 6-5 lead, then Zverev countered with his third hold of the final to force a first-set tiebreaker. In the tie-break, the competitors remained on serve through the first 10 points as the final reached the one-hour mark. Then, Zverev set up set point at 6-5 after Sinner lost the point, hitting a forehand unforced error. However, the top seed recovered nicely with a forehand winner – his 18th winner of the final.
Sinner gained a set point at 7-6 with his eighth ace, but Zverev fended it off with an ace of his own (No. 5). Next, he earned his second set point with a backhand winner. Finally, Zverev put away the 65-minute set with his 16th winner, a demonstrative forehand, which capped a 10-shot rally. It ended a streak of 17-straight sets won by Sinner and 14-consecutive sets that he had won over Zverev.
Zverev strikes first 💪
Takes the first set 7-6(7). #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/lvwp0v5bVA
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
As the 61-minute second set unfolded, both players remained on serve. Another tiebreaker was in order after each player put up solid if not superb service numbers. Soon, Sinner broke through and played tremendously – racing to a 4-0 lead. He won the tie-break 7-2 and, suddenly, this compelling final was level at a set each after two hours – and it became a best-of-3 showdown.
Sinner strikes back.
The defending champion takes the second set 7-6(2). #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/zl6Ej5eSDy
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
The third set remained a tight affair with neither player giving up much of an advantage to the other. Then, in the seventh game at 3-all, Zvevev gained a break point – his first of the match – after Sinner hit a backhand into the net. However, Sinner erased it with a forehand winner, in which Zverev stumbled behind the baseline and landed hard. Sinner raced over to the other side of the net to make sure Zverev was okay and helped him back on his feet.
Sportsmanship from Jannik after Zverev slips 🫶#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/q1cLCokhnJ
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
Soon, Sinner went on to hold serve for 4-3 as Zverev winced while walking back to his bench for the seventh-game changeover. Then, Sinner gained a break point in Zverev’s next service game and cashed it in after Zverev lost the point by air-mailing a forehand return that landed well past the baseline. It gave Sinner a 5-3 advantage, which is all he needed. The reigning champion promptly won the next game at love and sealed the 43-minute 6-3 set with his 14th ace. It moved him one set away from defending his title.
Sinner shines to take the third set 6-3.
The defending champion leads 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/29wCwwaznd
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026
Leading two sets to one, Sinner needed to capture just one more set while Zverev would need to run the table and go the distance to win his first Wimbledon crown. As the match clock eclipsed three hours early on, Zverev looked for any advantage he could find but it was not an easy task. Instead, Sinner remained unflappable, recovering nicely from 0-30 to hold for 2-all. Later, Sinner broke Zverev with a forehand winner to push ahead 4-3, needing to only hold his serve twice more to win his fifth major title. A solid backhand winner by Sinner gave him a love hold and a 5-3 lead. Next, Zverev stayed alive with a service hold, but would need to break Sinner to stay alive.
With the match riding on Sinner’s racquet, the South Tyrolean put together one last, marvelous service game and wrapped up the 50-minute final set with a fifth-shot forehand winner on match point to win after securing a 23-shot rally to set up the triumph. Sinner fell to the ground, filled with joy and happiness. Then, he got up, beamed a big smile toward his coaches, family and friends, and shared a warm embrace with Zverev at the net. When it counted most, Sinner stood tall and improving to 5-2 in major finals.
View this post on Instagram
“There is no better place to play tennis,” Sinner said. “You can feel the nerves Sunday morning waking up and it is a very special day and you never know how many times you will be able to come back on Sunday, so I never take things for granted.”
Zverev offered congratulations to Sinner. “Congratulations to Jannik. He showed once again why he is the best player in the world,” the runner-up said in his remarks during the trophy ceremony. “It was great to share Centre Court with you on finals weekend, it is great to be here.
“To my team. We’ve had a pretty good two months even though we lost this final. An amazing two months. We came into Wimbledon having never reached a quarterfinal and we played a first Wimbledon final. At 29 years-old this is the first time I believe I can win this trophy.”
Sinner is guaranteed to remain as world No. 1 when the new ATP rankings are published on Monday. He has now won six titles this season and in winning this year’s Wimbledon, it was his first Grand Slam title since winning the 2025 Wimbledon crown. By reaching the final here, Zverev will rise to No. 2, moving past Alcaraz, who has missed the last two majors with an injury to his right wrist.
View this post on Instagram
Guo and Mladenovic win Wimbledon women’s doubles title
No. 10 seeds Hanyu Guo of China and Kristina Mladenovic of France dominated No. 2 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Luisa Stefani of Brazil from first ball to last ball in the women’s doubles final. By the end of just their third major together, Guo and Mladenovic prevailed 6-3, 7-5, in one hour and 32 minutes on Centre Court to win their first Grand Slam title as a team – in just their seventh event together.
Guo and Mladenovic outpointed Dabrowski and Stefani 71-60. Sunday’s victory improved their win-loss record this season to 18-5.
En route, Guo and Mladenovic defeated the No. 1 seeds and 2024 Wimbledon champions Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Taylor Townsend of the United States in the quarterfinal round.
While it was Guo’s first Grand Slam title of any kind, Mladenovic has now won seven women’s major doubles titles (Wimbledon, plus four at Roland-Garros and two Australian Opens) to go along with three major mixed doubles titles. She previously played in the Wimbledon women’s doubles final in 2014 with Timea Babos of Hungary.
“It feels like a dream. I’ve never won women’s doubles here before. I played the final 12 years ago, if I’m not mistaken. It was my first one. To get the title here with Hanyu, so grateful for her,” Mladenovic said during the team’s post-match news conference.
Guo added: “Well, until now, I still feel it’s like unreal. It’s, like, really dream come true. I’m still I think enjoying with Kiki the rest of moments here.”
View this post on Instagram
Oda wins third Wimbledon men’s wheelchair title
A 30th meeting for No. 1 seed Tokito Oda of Japan and No. 2 seed Alfie Hewett of Great Britain, their ninth at a Grand Slam and their third at Wimbledon, was won by the 20-year-old Japanese lefty, 6-1, 6-1, in 69 minutes on No. 1 Court Sunday morning.
Oda hit 24 winners, made just 12 unforced errors, converted five of 11 break points and saved all five break points he faced from Hewett. He outpointed his opponent 64-38.
All eight of their previous Grand Slam meetings have come in finals. Oda defeated Hewett in the Wimbledon final in 2023 and 2025 and now leads their head-to-head at Grand Slams 7-2 overall. Hewett’s two victories came in the Australian Open finals in 2023 and 2025.
Including this year’s Wimbledon, Oda and Hewett and have split the last 14 Grand Slam men’s wheelchair singles titles between them – and have played each other in nine of the 14 finals.
“I’m feeling just incredible,” said Oda, quoted by the Wimbledon website, after winning his 10th career major title. “When I won here the first time, I was 17. I didn’t know what kind of special place it is here. It’s been three years since then, and every year I come here I play with pride and play with pleasure. Every year I’ve come here, wheelchair tennis has grown and people love wheelchair tennis.”
View this post on Instagram
Around the All England Club
• American qualifier Jordan Lee, 16, the youngest player in the draw, defeated Australia’s Cruz Hewitt, 17-year-old son of 2002 Wimbledon men’s singles champion Lleyton Hewitt, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, in two minutes and four seconds to capture the junior boys’ singles final on No. 1 Court.
It’s the first Grand Slam junior boys’ title for Lee, who was making his junior Grand Slam debut. He’s the first qualifier to win the junior boys’ singles title at a Grand Slam since Noah Rubin won the title at Wimbledon as a qualifier in 2014, and the first American boys’ champion since Samir Banerjee defeated Victor Lilov in an all-American final in 2021. Lee is the 13th American player to win the junior boys’ singles title at Wimbledon, and the fifth American player to do so since 2000 – after Donald Young (2007), Rubin (2014), Reilly Opelka (2015) and Banerjee.
Lee, who rallied from a break down at 2-4 in the third set, hit 22 winners to overcome 42 unforced errors. He withstood seven aces and 24 overall winners from Hewitt. Lee converted six of 11 break points and outpointed Hewitt 106-101.
“I just tried to go into the match thinking that it’s a court and I have a racquet in my hand and I’m hitting a tennis ball across the net with someone else,” Lee said during his post-match news conference. “Yeah, I mean, I did a pretty good job of that. The stadium was pretty packed today, so it was a very good experience for me. Yeah, I think I handled it pretty well.”
View this post on Instagram
• An all-Dutch final in the quad wheelchair singles was won by Niels Vink of the Netherlands, who fellow countryman Sam Schroeder, 6-1, 6-3, in one hour on No. 3 Court Sunday morning. In a battle of the top two seeds, No. 1 Vink won back-to-back Wimbledon titles by hitting 21 winners to eight unforced errors and outpointed No. 2 Schroeder 67-39.
• No. 1 seeds Yui Kamiji of Japan and Zhenzhen Zhu of China defeated No. 2 seeds Xiaohui Li and Ziying Wang of China, 6-4, 7-5, in one hour and 23 minutes on No. 3 Court to win the women’s wheelchair doubles final. Kamiji and Zhu outpointed their opponents 71-63.
By the numbers
• Jannik Sinner is the 19th player in the Open Era to reach seven Grand Slam men’s singles finals, while Alexander Zverev is the 26th player in the Open Era to reach five Grand Slam men’s singles finals.
• Tokito Oda of Japan is the first player to win multiple Wimbledon men’s wheelchair singles titles. He’s also the third player to win multiple Wimbledon wheelchair singles titles across all wheelchair tennis categories – after Diede de Groot (women’s) and Niels Vink (quad).
“Quotable …”
“It is definitely something that I’m going to remember forever, but it will definitely take me a few days to realize it. …
“I will focus on the positives (smiling). On the last match point, I didn’t even realize that I had a match point. I kept going. That’s what really won it for me, that I didn’t exactly put it into my head.”
– New Wimbledon women’s singles champion Linda Noskova of Czechia, during her post-match news conference Saturday evening, describing on the feeling of winning her first major title.
View this post on Instagram
