Alexander Zverev lost to Jannik Sinner in the 2026 Wimbledon final.
But there was a moment where many thought Zverev could pull off the upset on Centre Court.
The big-serving German won a thrilling first-set tiebreak 7-6 (9-7), celebrating wildly as he moved to within two sets of the Wimbledon title.
Who do you think is more likely to win another Grand Slam out of Novak Djokovic & Alexander Zverev? 🤔
Serena Williams’ coach, Rennae Stubbs, one of Zverev’s harshest critics, has now delivered her verdict on his behaviour after winning the opening set.
Rennae Stubbs calls out Alexander Zverev’s over-the-top celebration after winning the first set
During the latest episode of ‘The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast‘, the Aussie shared her thoughts on what happened at the end of the first set of the Wimbledon final.
“Remember, he turned round and screamed ‘come on’ to his players’ box?” said Stubbs.
“It was so over the top.
“I was like, dude, you have two more sets to win against the best player in the world.
ATP Rankings
- 1. Jannik Sinner – 13,450 points
- 2. Alexander Zverev – 8,480 points
- 3. Carlos Alcaraz – 8,160 points
- 4. Felix Auger-Aliassime – 4,740 points
- 5. Alex de Minaur – 4,110 points
“I felt he thought he was going to win the tournament after that, and I was like, no.
“As soon as he missed that forehand in the second set, that was it.”
Stubbs believes the forehand was the story of the match.
“One of the things where I was like, could this be the day? On set point, he ripped his forehand. When he had an opportunity to rip a forehand, Zverev ripped it,” she said.
“I thought, wow. Is this a new Zverev? After winning the French [Open], he comes in, and he knows the biggest issue for him is hitting the forehand under pressure.
“I would argue and say that [Jannik] Sinner did not really drop off his level at all. His level stayed the same. In fact, if you look at the stats, every set he got better, and Zverev got worse.
“But the one point where I knew it was over was the first point of the tiebreak in the second set.
“We knew how big that second set was. If Zverev goes up two sets to love, you never know.
Instead, the first point, he hits a forehand and misses it by a mile.
“That was a mini break in the tiebreak, which you can come back, but as soon as he missed that forehand, I went, ’That’s it.’ If he makes that shot and he’s confident with it, that’s the shot where Jannik goes, where do I go?”
Stubbs wasn’t surprised to see Zverev’s level dip after missing big on a crucial point with his forehand.
“You could see as the match went on, every big point he went to the forehand and got errors or a short ball,” she said.
“As soon as he shanked and missed that forehand, I was like, ’That’s it, the match is over.’ Because that is the time when great players don’t make the bad errors. That’s when he made the first bad error on a really big point, and I thought that’s it.
“Jannik then ran away with the tiebreak, and as soon as he won that tiebreak, it was a different level from Jannik, and it was an obvious level of what we are used to from Zverev against the great players like Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz.
“That was the difference maker, and that is not going to change until he can hit that forehand when it really matters.”
Zverev’s forehand never recovered from that miss, and he proceeded to lose the match in four sets, 7-6, 6-7, 3-6, 4-6.
Alexander Zverev’s next steps are clear after Wimbledon final defeat
If Zverev is to add to the Grand Slam he won at the French Open last month, he will need to improve all areas of his game.
But the necessary improvements are more mental than technical.
Zverev’s forehand and serve were world-class throughout Wimbledon; it was just in the big moments of the final that they let him down.
So, with that being said, the only way the 29-year-old can improve is by getting more match practice against the very best.
He needs to keep making deep runs at the Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events, where he has opportunities to meet the likes of Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic.
And win or lose, he must remain aggressive with his forehand, learning how to handle the pressure in those moments.
The results may not change overnight, but over time, Zverev may start to find ways to remain competitive against players like Sinner in matches like the Wimbledon final.
