​LONDON (AP) — A perfectly placed topspin lob winner sailed beyond the reach of his 6-foot-6 opponent and landed just outside the baseline in the second game. A delicate drop shot forced Alexander Zverev to shift direction so abruptly that the German twisted his right knee at a pivotal moment in the third set. The Wimbledon final showcased more than the usual barrage of baseline winners from Jannik Sinner as he defeated Zverev, while also displaying a broader array of shots that proved useful when Zverev unleashed more power than he had previously shown against the top seed. It was the diversity of Sinner’s game that his two coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, valued most in Sunday’s match.
Just as the sport’s enduring greats—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray—continue to evolve their games, Sinner, Zverev, and Carlos Alcaraz (currently sidelined by injury) are all still adapting their approaches, Cahill observed. “Alexander is now playing a different style of tennis against Jannik,” Cahill said. “We know Jannik will need to improve in certain areas to handle that type of play. Carlos is going to come back very strong, as well—hopefully, as we all hope. You have to keep adding things to his game. We saw a lot of the stuff he doesn’t normally like doing, even in today’s final: sliced backhands, a few lobs, a couple of drop shots. He really stepped up when the moment demanded it.”
Sinner’s second straight Wimbledon title matched the two crowns Alcaraz claimed at the All England Club and brought his Grand Slam total to five, narrowing the gap to Alcaraz’s seven. Alcaraz bypassed the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a right wrist injury, and it remains uncertain whether he’ll be fit for the year’s final major at the U.S. Open.
With the new rankings released on Monday, Zverev vaulted ahead of Alcaraz into the No. 2 spot. Zverev’s grass-court run followed his French Open triumph last month, the same tournament where Sinner endured a stunning second-round meltdown in Paris. “Big, big respect to Sascha, because he’s doing something amazing. His game is growing and growing,” Sinner said, referencing Zverev’s nickname. “There’s always someone pushing you to the limit. We hope Carlos is coming back, too, because tennis needs him. Having Novak still around, and seeing all the young players emerge, is really, really nice,” added Sinner, who had beaten Djokovic, then 39, in the semifinals. “At the same time, you always have to keep working hard.”
Sinner had to rally from a set down in a five-set opener against Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, a match that also tested his resilience in the wake of a difficult day.