Alexander Zverev can depart Wimbledon with his head held high, despite losing yet another Grand Slam final.
Fortunately for him, having won Roland Garros just last month made the result at this major almost obsolete.
Just by making it to Sunday’s showpiece match, he had already exceeded expectations.
That being said, Mats Wilander has actually argued that he expected more.
After all, having watched Alexander Zverev shine all throughout the two weeks prior with a newfound freedom and aggression, it shocked the seven-time Grand Slam champion that he did not inflict more damage on Jannik Sinner.
Mats Wilander questions Alexander Zverev’s mentality after Wimbledon final
Chatting to L’Equipe, offering his analysis of yesterday’s Wimbledon final, the Swedish star admitted he was a little disappointed with Zverev’s inability to truly trouble Sinner and challenge for the title.
He admitted: “I imagined that after his Roland Garros title, Zverev would play with more freedom — and that is precisely what we saw during this Wimbledon — but there is still a gap, not physically, but mentally.
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“I’m not sure if he truly believed he could beat Sinner.”
And yet, despite this rather damning assessment, Wilander also predicted a bright future for the German, adding: “I’d say the gap will narrow a bit more following this final, and Sascha should continue to close the distance over the next twelve months at least — especially since he achieved this on grass, a surface where he is far less comfortable than on hard courts.
“For a player of his calibre, Alcaraz and Sinner cannot remain untouchable forever.
“I thought Sascha Zverev would have an even better chance of winning.
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“He played magnificently in the first set and for much of the second, but Jannik showed, much like Alcaraz, that he is still a level above when it comes to the big points, the ones that turn a match around.
“Both of them have the ability to turn a contest that seems very tight — one that even feels like it’s on the verge of swinging your way — into something that ends up looking far less complicated than it initially appeared.”
Sinner already made his prediction about Zverev’s future during his on-court interview.
Could Alexander Zverev feasibly catch Jannik Sinner in the world rankings?
For Zverev, the road to world number one is still long and winding, regardless of the fact that he has just reached a second straight major final.
After all, Sinner had so many points to defend at both events, and even with his shock early exit in Paris, retains a massive lead.
He sits atop the ATP world rankings on 13,450 points, a huge margin ahead of Zverev in second on 8,480.
| Rank | Player | Ranking Points |
| 1. | Jannik Sinner | 13,450 |
| 2. | Alexander Zverev | 8,480 |
| 3. | Carlos Alcaraz | 8,160 |
| 4. | Felix Auger Aliassime | 4,740 |
| 5. | Alex de Minaur | 4,110 |
The 29-year-old overtook Carlos Alcaraz with his performance at Wimbledon, and will admittedly have opportunities to close the gap between him and Sinner in the coming months.
However, he also has semi-final points to defend in Canada and Cincinnati before the US Open.
This year, the chances of the world number one spot changing hands are nearly impossible.
