Sinner defends Wimbledon title against Zverev – Merz in the Royal Box

For the 29-year-old Zverev — who had won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open in early June in Paris — it was his first Wimbledon final appearance. The Hamburg native thus missed out on a second consecutive Major title. Reaching the final nevertheless moved him up to number two in the world rankings.

Prominent faces in the stands

Zverev received high-profile support from back home: Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz had traveled to London with his wife Charlotte and taken a seat in the front row of the Royal Box, alongside Prince William and Princess Kate. The prominent backing, however, did not bring Zverev the hoped-for success on court.

After the match, Merz nonetheless made his way to the German player's locker room. Zverev reported afterwards: "Er ist nach dem Match in die Umkleide gekommen. Wir haben ein paar Worte miteinander geredet, war schön, dass er da war." Merz had already called Zverev after his triumph at the French Open, as Zverev had reported at the time.

Diabetes as an additional challenge

During the match, Zverev was additionally tested by his Type 1 diabetes. As became known afterwards, he used three energy gels and an injection to keep his blood sugar stable during the nearly four-hour match.

The final was also physically overshadowed by a slip from Zverev in which he hyperextended his knee — comparable to a similar fall against Taylor Fritz on grass in 2024. "Ich hatte anschließend ein wenig Schwierigkeiten, mich beim Aufschlag abzustoßen. Deshalb hat meine Aufschlaggeschwindigkeit nachgelassen. Aber alles andere lief gut", Zverev explained at the press conference around 90 minutes after the match ended.

Outlook: Zverev wants to take the next step

Despite the defeat, the Hamburg native was both self-critical and gracious. He called Sinner a deserved winner. "Ich habe mich von der Grundlinie aus gut bewegt und dort gut gespielt. Aber beim Aufschlag hatte ich etwas mehr Schwierigkeiten", said the world number two.

Looking ahead to the upcoming tournaments, Zverev struck a positive balance about his development. "In den vergangenen Jahren sei er irgendwie immer der Dritte gewesen. Wenn ich also näher an sie herankomme, wenn ich natürlich mit ihnen um die großen Turniere kämpfen und sie gewinnen kann, an ihrer Seite, wäre das großartig. Dafür werde ich weiter hart trainieren." He specifically pointed to his losses against Carlos Alcaraz in Australia and Sinner at Wimbledon as evidence that he can push the top players to their limits.

For Sinner, who claimed the Wimbledon title after 2024 now for the second time in a row, an impressive grass-court season comes to a close. The Italian had most recently triumphed at the 2024 US Open; at the Major level he had suffered final defeats only in 2025 at the US Open and in Paris.