The Center Court, the most famous lawn in the world, awaits its last duel: Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev will compete for the Wimbledon title, in a final that offers much more than a cup. On the one hand there is the reigning champion, the world number one, the man called to join an exclusive club: that of players capable of confirming themselves on the London lawns in the Open Era. Before him, only nine champions succeeded, from Rod Laver to Novak Djokovic, through Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. A success would allow Sinner to add another page to his story and turn 2026 into an already legendary season.
On the other side of the net will be Alexander Zverev, in his second consecutive Slam final after the one he won at Roland Garros. The German, who will return to number 2 in the world rankings from Monday, is chasing his first triumph on the noble lawns of London, where until now he had never advanced beyond the round of 16. Zverev arrives at the Championships final with the knowledge that he can play on equal terms. “I’ve been waiting my whole career for a moment like this,” explained the German, who defined Sinner as “the strongest player in the world right now.”
A judgment also confirmed by the numbers that tell the story of the rivalry between the two. Sinner not only leads 10-4 in previous matches, but more importantly has won the last nine head-to-head. Zverev’s last success dates back to the 2023 US Open, before the definitive explosion of the Italian phenomenon. With tomorrow’s final the two will also complete their personal “Grand Slam”: they will have faced each other at least once in all four Majors. “I want to enjoy this moment, but I know that the work is not finished,” said Sinner after the semi-final win against Novak Djokovic. A phrase that tells the story of the South Tyrolean champion’s mentality: no early celebrations, no distractions, despite the unbalanced predictions in his favor. “Between me and Sascha it will be a very different match from all the ones that we have played so far – the words of the world number one -. On grass there will be fewer rallies, less pace and the serve will count a lot. Sascha is serving great and playing with enormous aggression. He won a Slam in Paris and that success gave him even more confidence. You can see it in how he tackles important points and how relaxed he is on the pitch.”
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi will also attend the final. Meanwhile, Wimbledon has crowned a new queen, the tenth different champion in a row of the last ten editions (in 2020 Wimbledon was not played due to Covid-19). Linda Noskova won the Czech derby – for the first time ever – beating compatriot Karolina Muchova in three sets (6-2 5-7 6-3). In an edition characterized by the premature exit of the very favorites (only one of the top five seeds reached the quarter-finals), the final act of the Championships saw the arrival of two tennis players who had never even reached the semi-finals on the London lawns. For Noskova, born in 2004, this is the first slam in her career.