By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
In the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner underlined his dominance in men’s tennis by successfully defending his Wimbledon title with a hard-fought four-set victory over Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles final on Centre Court on Sunday.
The Spaniard couldn’t participate both in French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a wrist injury.
The 24-year-old Italian overcame a spirited challenge from the German second seed 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 in a contest lasting nearly four hours to become only the 10th man in the Open Era to retain the Wimbledon men’s singles title.
Sinner had to recover after narrowly losing a gripping opening-set tie-break despite both players serving superbly. Refusing to panic, the defending champion responded by producing a flawless second-set tie-break before gradually taking control of the baseline exchanges.
The turning point came midway through the third set when Zverev slipped while chasing a drop shot, appearing to hurt his knee. Sinner immediately crossed the net to check on his opponent in a display of sportsmanship. The Italian then capitalised on the momentum shift, earning the crucial break that allowed him to take the third set.
Sinner remained composed in the fourth set, breaking Zverev’s serve at a decisive moment before serving out the championship in style. Throughout the match, the Italian never allowed Zverev to break his serve, highlighting his remarkable consistency under pressure.
But it appeared that Zverev’s lost his aggressiveness after he slipped and fell on the court in the third set.
The triumph earned Sinner his fifth Grand Slam title, adding another Wimbledon crown to his growing collection that also includes two Australian Open titles and a US Open championship. It further strengthened his grip on the world No. 1 ranking and confirmed his status as the leading force in men’s tennis.
For Zverev, the defeat was a bitter disappointment after entering the final with hopes of adding Wimbledon to his recent French Open triumph. Despite taking the opening set and pushing Sinner throughout the contest, the German was unable to match the champion’s consistency in the closing stages.
Sinner’s title defence capped another outstanding fortnight in London. After cruising through most of the draw and defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the semi-finals, the Italian once again proved why he is the benchmark in men’s tennis, successfully retaining the sport’s most prestigious grass-court crown.
Sinner earned a record £3.6 million (approximately US$4.8 million or ₹42 crore) for winning the 2026 Wimbledon men’s singles title, while runner-up Zverev received £1.8 million (approximately US$2.4 million or ₹21 crore). The All England Club increased the total prize fund for the 2026 Championships to a record £64.2 million, a 20% rise from last year.