13 July,2026 10:24 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Jannik Sinner (Pic: AFP)
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner described his successful Wimbledon title defence as one of the most meaningful achievements of his career, saying the triumph came after months of hard work following his disappointment at the French Open.
"I think every Grand Slam is different. Different story, different environment, different feelings before the tournament. For me this one means a lot because it was a tough one after Paris again. Last year was also tough," Sinner said.
The top seed thanked his coaching team for ensuring a successful transition to grass after the clay season.
"We put in a lot of workdays in Monaco, very, very long. Definitely sacrificing a lot of my time and everything to be in this position. Having this achievement, it means a lot to me. It was an amazing day today," he added.
The champion also paid tribute to his opponent on the day, Alexander Zverev, noting that the German's upward trajectory constantly forces him to evolve.
"Big, big respect to Sascha, because he's doing something amazing. His game is growing and growing. At the same time, that's exactly what's good, because you always have someone who is pushing you to the limit," he said.
Sinner also hoped to see his rival Carlos Alcaraz back on the court while acknowledging the longevity of Novak Djokovic alongside a rise of new young talent in men's tennis.
"We hope that Carlos is coming back, as well, because tennis needs him. Having Novak still around, having all the young players coming, it's really, really nice. At the same time, you always need to work hard and have moments like this," Sinner said.
Sinner gave up only a single break-point opportunity over the entire four-set final on Sunday, dominating on his own serve.
"It's just staying in the moment, to be honest. If you lose serve once, the set is over, most likely, especially playing against Sascha. Against the best players in the world, you need to be very careful on your own service games. I have improved throughout the whole tournament. If you see the performance from the first two, three matches, then how I ended the tournament, it has always been growing." Sinner said.
(With inputs from ANI)
