Sinner arrived in London with questions around his durability and his recovery from a startling defeat at Roland Garros. In Paris, he had lost in the French Open second round to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo after leading by two sets and 5-1. It was his earliest Grand Slam exit in three years, and a jolt after months of near-total control on the ATP Tour.
Then came Wimbledon’s opening round. Facing Miomir Kecmanovic, Sinner had to come from behind in five sets to avoid becoming only the third defending men’s champion to lose in the first round. For a player who had lost eight of his previous nine five-set matches, the warning signs were obvious.
Why the Paris losses mattered in London
This was the second straight year Sinner had arrived at Wimbledon carrying a heavy French Open disappointment. In 2025, he suffered a more dramatic collapse at Roland Garros, losing an epic final to Carlos Alcaraz after leading by two sets and holding three championship points.
Thirty-five days later, he responded by winning at the All England Club and gaining revenge on Alcaraz. That turnaround became part of the Sinner file: bad moments do not seem to stay bad for very long.
This year, the test was different. His loss to Cerundolo raised fresh questions about his physical resilience, particularly in long matches. The five-set scare against Kecmanovic did little to quiet those doubts at first.
Sinner, though, said the recovery came from work rather than anything mystical.
"This one means a lot because it was a tough one after Paris, again," he said.
"Last year was also tough. But coming here, I tried to put myself in the best position to be as competitive as possible.
"We put in a lot of long days, sacrificing a lot to be in this position."
What Darren Cahill says defines Sinner’s resilience
Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, pointed to the response rather than the setback as the clearest measure of Sinner.
"There have been a few kicks in the stomach along the way. Tough losses. What makes us most proud is the way he comes back," Cahill said.
"It doesn't put him down for long. That's his attitude in tennis and in life.
"We spoke about his resilience, and being able to come back and be bigger, stronger and faster whenever he has a bad moment.
"If you don't have those tough moments, maybe you never grow like he has been able to."
That growth showed after the Kecmanovic escape. Sinner won his next five matches in straight sets on the way to the final. The most commanding came in the semi-final against Novak Djokovic, the men’s record 24-time major champion.
Sinner needed two hours and 20 minutes to beat Djokovic, facing just one break point. He saved it with an ace, which is one way to keep the drama brief.
How Sinner beat Zverev in the final
Sunday’s final was not as tidy. Zverev, one of the tour’s strongest players this season, took the first set and forced Sinner to build the win the hard way.
But Sinner’s level held. Once he claimed that first break of serve after nearly three hours, the match tilted sharply in his direction. At three hours and 46 minutes, he struck his 58th winner, then stood with his hands on his head as the scale of the moment settled in.
Former British number one Tim Henman said on BBC TV: "A worthy champion, an incredible defence of his title. As the great players do, they find the way to win.
"Sinner's performances against Djokovic and Zverev have been truly world class."
The victory also made Sinner the first man in 48 years to win the Wimbledon singles title after being taken to five sets in his opening match. Across all Grand Slams, he is the first man to do so since Rafael Nadal at the 2011 French Open.
What the win says about the men’s tour
Sinner and Zverev have been the two most in-form players on the ATP Tour this season, and the rankings will reflect that when Zverev replaces the injured Carlos Alcaraz as world number two on Monday.
Zverev ended his long wait for a first major title last month, but Sinner remains a clear problem for him. The German has now lost his past 10 matches against the Italian.
Sinner’s numbers are getting hard to argue with:
- 44 wins from 47 matches this year
- 77 wins from 83 matches since beginning his Wimbledon title run 12 months ago
- A 30-match winning streak between March and May
- Five successive Masters 1000 titles during his dominant early-season surge
- Five Grand Slam titles overall
That kind of dominance will only sharpen interest in Alcaraz’s recovery. Their rivalry had started to look like the defining one in men’s tennis, and tennis is rarely worse off for having two young stars who can genuinely trouble each other.
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I think we have seen the new Novak Djokovic for the next 10-15 years.
"The way he weathered the storm when he had to, and found an extraordinary shot when he needed one, reminds me so much of Djokovic."
For Sinner, the latest trophy was not just another addition to the cabinet. It was proof that the collapse in Paris and the first-round wobble in London were not signs of a champion losing control. They were, inconveniently for everyone else, fuel.
