Alexander Zverev will play his first Wimbledon final on Sunday against the world number one, Jannik Sinner.
The German eased past Arthur Fery, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the semi-finals, before Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Who will win the Wimbledon final? Jannik Sinner or Alexander Zverev
The top two seeds collide!
Zverev will walk onto Centre Court as a big underdog, having lost nine consecutive matches against Sinner.
However, Zverev has now been told how he could ‘steal’ the title away from Sinner.
Leon Smith believes Alexander Zverev can win Wimbledon if he takes Jannik Sinner to tiebreaks
During BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wimbledon coverage, Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain, Leon Smith, assessed Zverev’s chances in the final.
“The win at Roland Garros was massive for him, because he is going to take the confidence from that, but Sinner is a step up for him,” said Smith.
“You’ve just gone through the ranking points, there is a reason for that deficit, and there is a reason for that head-to-head as well, so I think [Jannik] Sinner goes in, obviously as favourite.”
Live ATP Rankings
- 1. Jannik Sinner – 12,750 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
- 6. Ben Shelton – 3,770 points
- 7. Novak Djokovic – 3,760 points
- 8. Daniil Medvedev – 3,670 points
- 9. Flavio Cobolli – 3,460 points
- 10. Taylor Fritz – 3,365 points
Zverev trails Sinner by over 4,000 points in the ‘Live ATP Rankings’, and has lost 12 consecutive sets against the world number one.
Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev’s head-to-head record (10-4)
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2026 Madrid Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2026 Monte Carlo Masters – SF | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2026 Miami Open – SF | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2026 Indian Wells – SF | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2025 ATP Finals – RR | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2025 Paris Masters – SF | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 2025 Vienna Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 2025 Australian Open – F | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2024 Cincinnati Open – SF | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 |
| 2023 US Open – SF | Alexander Zverev | Jannik Sinner | 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 2022 Monte Carlo Masters – QF | Alexander Zverev | Jannik Sinner | 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2021 US Open – 4R | Alexander Zverev | Jannik Sinner | 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2020 Cologne 2 – SF | Alexander Zverev | Jannik Sinner | 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2020 French Open – 4R | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 |
Smith did, however, suggest the approach Zverev should take to boost his chances of upsetting Sinner in the final.
“But the one thing [Alexander] Zverev can do, he can serve unreal,” he said.
“He’s serving amazing. Today, his serving was off the charts.
Alexander Zverev’s serving stats vs Arthur Fery
- Aces – 9
- Double faults – 2
- 1st Serve % – 75%
- Win % on 1st Serve – 78%
- Win % on 2nd Serve – 89%
“His forehand was really good today, and that’s going to be so important for him, because Sinner will be looking to break that down as much as possible.
“But the key for Zverev in the final on Sunday is, take care of business on your serve and see if you can maybe get to tiebreaks and see if you can steal it that way.”
If Zverev is to beat Sinner in the final, he will need his world-class serve to hold up, and as Smith explained, the German will have to raise his level when it matters most in tiebreaks.
The chances are he won’t be able to blow Sinner away and win 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; however, a scoreline closer to 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, might not be quite so unrealistic.
Leon Smith and Pat Cash marvel at Jannik Sinner’s semi-final win over Novak Djokovic
Smith believes there is a route to victory for Zverev, although he knows Sinner will be tough to beat.
The 50-year-old was impressed by Sinner’s performance in the semi-final, as he made light work of the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Djokovic.
“I’m not sure he’d have been expecting that sort of outcome, really,” said Smith.
“The performance was amazing, really, two hours, 20 on the clock, that is phenomenally good for Sinner.
“Everything came together today.”
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was also keen to share his thoughts.
“The level was different,” he said.
“You see that with these champions, Rafa [Nadal] has done it, Carlos Alcaraz has done it, and Novak [Djokovic], of course, and these other players, [Roger] Federer has always cruised through the first rounds, and his level doesn’t really dip that much.
“But some of these players, when it comes to the semi-finals, they just hit another level, and you know, full credit to Jannik Sinner, he just went to another level.”
Sinner may need to maintain that level in the final if he is to defend his Wimbledon title.
