Alexander Zverev will look to continue his dream run when he takes on world number one Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon men’s singles final on Sunday.
The newly-crowned French Open champion faces a huge challenge, as Sinner has dominated their recent meetings. The Italian has beaten Zverev nine times in a row and has won the last 14 sets they have played against each other.
Still, Zverev heads into the final full of confidence. The has been in excellent form since winning his first Grand Slam title at the French Open. He is also the first German man to reach the Wimbledon final since Boris Becker in 1995.
Zverev made the most of his opportunity at Roland Garros after defending champion Carlos Alcaraz missed the tournament through injury, while Sinner suffered an early shock defeat. He went on to beat Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a tense final, ending the run of Grand Slam titles shared by Alcaraz and Sinner over the previous nine majors.
Wimbledon has not always been a happy hunting ground for Zverev, but this year has been different. He has looked comfortable on grass and has impressed with wins over Jiri Lehecka, Taylor Fritz and British wildcard Arthur Fery to reach his first final at the All England Club.
“Once you win a major, you know how to do it and you feel like you can do it again,” Zverev said.
One of the biggest changes in his game has been his forehand. Earlier seen as a weakness, it has now become a major weapon. Against Fery, he hit 22 forehand winners compared to just eight winners from his usually reliable backhand.
“I’ve been trying to play a more aggressive style and take control of points. My forehand has been a big part of that,” Zverev said.
If he wins on Sunday, Zverev will become only the seventh man in the Open Era to complete the French Open-Wimbledon double in the same season.
However, Sinner will start as the favourite. The defending Wimbledon champion looked at his brilliant best while beating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach his seventh Grand Slam final.
There were some concerns about Sinner before the tournament because of the hot weather in London and his difficult five-set first-round win over Miomir Kecmanovic. But since then, he has improved with every match.
Against Djokovic, Sinner was outstanding. He fired 16 aces and lost just six points on his first serve, underlining why he is the world number one.
Sinner has not lost to Zverev since the 2023 US Open. Their last Grand Slam final meeting came at the 2025 Australian Open, where Sinner won comfortably in straight sets.
Even so, Sinner knows he cannot take Zverev lightly.
“Because he tried for so long, and then when you finally achieve it, it’s amazing. It gives you confidence,” Sinner said about Zverev’s French Open triumph.
“We’ve seen it again here. He’s playing very aggressively, serving really well and he’s always a tough player to face.”
