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London — There’s little doubt that Alexander Zverev enters Wimbledon’s men’s final as the underdog. He looked superb on Friday in a straightforward semifinal victory over Arthur Féry, the British wild card. Yet there’s superb, and then there’s the level Jannik Sinner reached with his serve in the other semifinal against Novak Djokovic.
Throughout the tournament, the defending champion and world No. 1 has appeared a touch steadier from the baseline, and his serve has not only carried him clear of danger but shielded him from real trouble. Against Djokovic, the seven-time champion at the All England Club, Sinner finally combined everything to deliver a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory that was as smooth and symmetrical as its scoreline.
Beyond his excellent play, Sinner also leads their head-to-head by a wide margin. He is 10-4 against Zverev, with nine consecutive wins, one of them a dominant performance in the 2025 Australian Open final. Zverev, 29, has not taken a set off Sinner in their last seven meetings. In their most recent clash, the Madrid Open final in May, Sinner wrapped up the win in under an hour with a 6-1, 6-2 scoreline that left little to question.
Yet as they prepare for their 15th career meeting Sunday on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, the rivalry between Zverev and Sinner has shifted in one crucial way: both are Grand Slam champions now. After years of being tagged as the best active player without a major, Zverev finally claimed the French Open title last month, a milestone that seems to have settled him and sharpened his focus, especially during a tournament where he recognizes another golden opportunity, with world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz still sidelined by a wrist injury.
Both finalists spoke Friday about Zverev’s noticeably increased confidence on court. “I think there are two things to it. One thing for sure is that once you win a major you know how to do it and you feel you can do it again. You have this feeling inside you,” Zverev said in a news conference after beating Féry, the 23-year-old world No. 114 who will rise to No. 36 on Monday following his 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 defeat in the semifinals. “The second thing: I feel like I’ve worked on my game a lot. I feel like my game has improved. Sometimes in sports it’s as simple as that.”
Over the past year, Zverev has emphasized the need to be more aggressive to win titles and close the gap with Sinner and Alcaraz. He carried that approach into his semifinal victory on Friday, imposing greater muscle behind his forehand for 22 winners on that wing while leveraging his serve and backhand as his primary weapons. He also stands to benefit from a 4 p.m. final start time on what is forecast to be a baking hot day, with temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s. Sinner, for his part, said he prepared for Wimbledon with the London heat in mind, though he has previously wilted in extreme conditions. Regardless, the stage is set for a Wimbledon showdown that promises a captivating clash between a triumphant Zverev and a relentless Sinner, each carrying the confidence that comes with reaching the summit of a Grand Slam.