Back-to-Back! Jannik Sinner Keeps Hold of His Wimbledon Crown

On the final, brilliantly sunny day of an utterly rainless Wimbledon fortnight, a crowd including Nicole Kidman, Sienna Miller, Raye, Lily Collins, Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Dustin Hoffman, and Stan Smith—along with Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their two eldest children, George and Charlotte—assembled at the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the gentlemen’s singles final.

Going head-to-head? Reigning champion Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, who was still riding high from winning his very first major title at Roland-Garros last month. The winner? Jannik Sinner, besting his opponent in four compelling sets to take the Wimbledon title for the second year in a row: Sinner held steady, clinching it in 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4.

The stats going into the match were overwhelming: in their nine meetings between the 2023 US Open and the Madrid Open this May, Zverev had lost to Sinner every single time. (What commentator John McEnroe frankly described as a “miserable record the last couple years.”) Yet both players were entering the final under somewhat unusual circumstances—circumstances that seemed to suggest this one wouldn’t be business as usual.

While Sinner had won his last five matches in straight sets, he hadn’t lifted the trophy at a major since winning in London last year, and his last appearance at a Grand Slam, the French, saw him melt down in the Paris heat by the second round. Zverev, on the other hand, hadn’t made it further than the quarterfinals at Wimbledon until this year, becoming only the third man in the Open Era to win his maiden major title and then reach the final of the next Grand Slam tournament. (The other two were Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev, both of whom won the US Open before losing to Novak Djokovic in Australia.)

Sunday’s first two sets made good on that promise of something special. Zverev, perhaps the most powerful server on the tour (his first serves were averaging 130 mph at the start of the match), showed none of the passivity that had previously hamstrung his progress at the majors, fighting off a break point at 3–4 and then swinging his way to a tiebreak, which he won with a blazing forehand return on Sinner’s serve.

The second set would come with more of the same: two tremendous athletes playing at the top of their game. Indeed, Sinner and Zverev reached a second tiebreak—marking the first time the gentlemen’s final had featured tiebreaks in two consecutive sets since 2015—though it was Sinner, with what seemed like a new fire in his eyes, who won that one, and decisively, 7–2.

By the third set, things started to shift. Centre Court was draped in shadow, and while Zverev’s pace began to slow, Sinner was locked in, lunging and sliding to cover the court. When, at 3–3, Zverev had a look at breaking Sinner’s serve, he missed the point before toppling over into the grass and gripping his knee—at which point Sinner, ever the sportsman, jogged around the net to help his opponent to his feet. But that was about where the courtesies ended: it was soon Sinner who got the break to take a 5–3 lead—and then the set.

The fourth set was punctuated by increasingly dramatic rallies and drop shots that again left Sinner splitsing, stretching, and rolling on the grass—but his power prevailed. He gained a vital break when he hit a brilliant forehand just out of Zverev’s reach on a third break point. Then, faced with a vicious backhand from Zverev, Sinner stayed consistent with the groundstrokes, an intense diving volley, a dexterous drop shot, and calculated forehand to serve out. Championship point! A victory by 6-4.

Three hours and 46 minutes culminated in a compelling four-set match—the second longest win of Sinner’s career, and certainly a final to remember. At match point, Sinner threw himself on the grass to roars. On his feet again, his cap came off, and he ruffled his curly red hair free before throwing his fists in the air in celebration.

“I don’t really like you anymore,” Zverev joked to Sinner in his on-court interview. “I lost to you nine times in a row.” (It’s actually 10.) He added that Sinner “showed once again why he’s the best player in the world.”

He added his thanks to the Wimbledon crowd for their support across the tournament, stating that it was a big reason he made the final at all, and said what an honor it was to play in front of the Royal Box. While Zverev was left disappointed, this run means he becomes the new world number two, replacing Carlos Alcaraz.

“It takes two players to make a great final,” reflected Sinner in his winner’s interview. He also addressed the crowd: “You are always amazing to me and you gave me the most special feeling a tennis player can ever feel like, so thank you so much.” He acknowledged his team’s work and his parents; his mother had to leave several times because she couldn’t handle the tension. Finally, he gave his thanks to the ball kids for their work. “You make our life on court as simple as possible,” Sinner said. “This is truly the most special tournament we have throughout the year…see you guys all next year.”

This article was originally published on Vogue.com.