Zverev meets Sinner in Wimbledon final: First German title since Stich possible

Sinner's dominance and Zverev's losing streak

Sinner travels to London with the self-confidence of a defending champion. In the semifinal, the world number one showed no weakness whatsoever in his 6:4, 6:4, 6:4 victory over Grand Slam record holder Novak Djokovic and handled the task with authority. "In der Zwischenzeit hat er ein Grand Slam gewonnen, was ihm viel Selbstvertrauen gab", said the four-time Grand Slam champion about Zverev. "Wir können hier sehen, auf welchem Niveau er spielt."

Sinner wants to claim his second consecutive title at Wimbledon in the final. The final will be "ganz anders als alle anderen Spiele, die wir bisher gespielt haben", the Italian predicted. It is the first meeting between the two on grass. "Was auch immer in der Vergangenheit zwischen ihm und mir passiert ist, ist passiert. Aber das kann sich schnell ändern im Sport", said Zverev with a view to his losing streak.

Memories of Paris and the heat

After the lost title showdown at the 2025 Australian Open, Zverev had even had to admit that Sinner was currently "derzeit in einem anderen Universum als alle anderen". In Paris, Sinner had physically collapsed in the heat and had lost dramatically despite leading 2-0 in sets and 5:1 in the third. It will not be as hot as in France at the end of May this Sunday in Wimbledon, with a maximum announced temperature of 29 degrees Celsius.

Zverev's belief in the end of his losing streak and the associated Grand Slam double is enormous. "Sobald man einmal ein Major gewonnen hat, weiß man, wie es geht, und hat das Gefühl, dass man es wieder schaffen kann", said the Hamburg native. He also has the feeling that "dass sich mein Spiel verbessert hat. Manchmal ist es im Sport so einfach." Best of all, this Sunday in the duel between the two currently best players in the world.

Zverev's new self-confidence after Paris

"Ich möchte einfach nur das beste Tennismatch zeigen, was ich zeigen kann", said Zverev. "Ich sehe mich mit jedem auf Augenhöhe, das ist das Wichtigste", said the 29-year-old on pay-TV channel Prime Video about his approach. "Jetzt zurückdenken, wie ich mich letztes Jahr gefühlt habe und was da passiert ist – in diesem Moment interessiert mich das nicht", he added.

Even reaching the final at the grass-court classic, where the Hamburg native had previously never made it past the round of 16, was "ein historischer Tag für Sascha Zverev und das deutsche Tennis", said three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker after the three-set semifinal victory over British wildcard sensation Arthur Fery. "Noch sei die Reise aber nicht zu Ende, noch muss er ein Match gewinnen", said Becker.

Historic opportunity for German tennis

If Zverev ends his losing streak, he would be the first Wimbledon men's champion from Germany since Michael Stich 35 years ago. Stich won the final of the grass-court classic in 1991. It would also be a novelty in the professional era since 1968 if Zverev were to celebrate his second Grand Slam triumph at the very next opportunity after his first.

Pay-TV channel Prime Video is showing the first final featuring a German player since 1995 free of charge. The broadcast from London starts at 4:00 p.m., with the match beginning an hour later. From Monday onwards, Zverev will be ranked number two again either way.

For Sinner, this is his second appearance in a Wimbledon final after 2024. The Italian won the title last year and now wants to celebrate his second Grand Slam success of the season, after triumphing over Zverev in the final at the Australian Open. The situation ahead of the final is therefore clear: The world number one goes into the match as the favorite, but Zverev has shown with his Paris triumph that he can also beat the currently best player in the world.

Conditions and grass advantage

The conditions on Sunday at Wimbledon will be significantly milder at around 29 degrees Celsius than during Sinner's dramatic semifinal collapse in Paris. That could work in favor of the Italian, who had physically broken down in the heat of the French capital. On grass in London, the conditions are better for Sinner anyway, as his style of play is particularly effective on fast surfaces.

Zverev has proven in this edition of Wimbledon, however, that he is competitive on grass. His semifinal victory over Fery was his first three-set win in the tournament and showed that the German has been able to shed his previous weakness on the fast surface. By reaching the final, Zverev has already achieved his best Wimbledon result.

Looking ahead to the final

The tennis world will be looking to London on Sunday, where the two best players of the present will face each other. A triumph for Zverev would be the first Wimbledon title for German tennis in 35 years and a historic moment. For Sinner, it is about underlining his dominance and claiming his second consecutive title.

The final promises high drama: Zverev with the self-confidence of the Paris winner and the hope of the historic double, Sinner with the experience of the defending champion and a head-to-head record of 10:4 wins. "Es wird sehr, sehr schwer", Zverev knows – but in sport, anything is possible.