London [UK], July 13 (ANI): Alexander Zverev graciously congratulated Jannik Sinner after finishing runner-up in the Wimbledon 2026 men's singles final, hailing the Italian as the "best player in the world" following his successful title defence.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony after the final, Zverev acknowledged Sinner's dominance, joking about his losing streak against the World No. 1 before praising his consistency at the highest level.
"Yeah, first of all Jannik. I don't really like you anymore. I lost to you 9 times in a row," Zverev said with a smile.
"Congratulations to Jannik. He showed once again why he's the best player in the world. It was great to share Centre Court with you on finals weekend. It's a great honor to be here. Unfortunately it didn't go my way, but congratulations first of all," he added.
The German also congratulated Sinner's coaching team, crediting them for playing a vital role in the Italian's rise from outside the top 10 to becoming a multiple Grand Slam champion and World No. 1.
"Also congrats to Jannik's team. You guys have been together for many, many years now. You guys are World No. 1 now but you started outside of the top 10 and worked your way into being Grand Slam champions and World No. 1. It's definitely a team effort. Jannik is the first one to admit it. Congratulations to you guys. You really deserve it," Zverev said.
Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon men's singles title with a 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alexander Zverev, claiming his fifth Grand Slam title and first major crown of the 2026 season.
The win made Sinner the 10th player to retain the Wimbledon men's singles title and extended his winning streak against Zverev to 10 matches.
The Italian bounced back from an early French Open exit to secure his sixth ATP title of the year, while Zverev's hopes of winning back-to-back Grand Slams ended despite reaching his second consecutive major final. (ANI)
Zverev hails Sinner as "best player in world" after Wimbledon final
