Firm favourite Sinner out to defend Wimbledon crown against liberated Zverev

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Sinner[/a] goes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=n5DWLXD5"]into the final as the firm favourite[/a], having won his last nine meetings with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a], including four this year, but this will be their first clash since the German finally became a Grand Slam champion.[/p][p]The pair have been the stand-out players in men's tennis since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Carlos Alcaraz[/a] was sidelined through injury in April.[/p][p]Sinner will be appearing in his second Wimbledon final as he chases a fifth Grand Slam crown, while Zverev, in search of a second major title, is through to his maiden showpiece at the All England Club and in better form than ever.[/p][p]The Italian can notch his 100th Grand Slam match win by repeating his 2025 Australian Open final victory over Zverev.[/p][p][b]"It means a lot to me to play one more final here. It's the most special tournament we have,"[/b] said Sinner, who crashed out in the second round of the recent French Open.[/p][p]Sinner will be competing in his seventh Grand Slam final and his first since losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open last year.[/p][p]The 24-year-old has not dropped a set in his last six wins over Zverev.[/p][p]That miserable streak for the German was started by a 6-0, 6-1 hammering in the Paris Masters semi-finals last year.[/p][image alt="Sinner vs Zverev H2H" id="360b8e69-e2b0-4362-b7ef-8f8ea07ea1bb" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8b2d6ee6-88b1-4a6e-bffa-61cbd6898e2a" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Only one set they have played since could even be considered a genuine contest, a second set which went to a tie-break in the Miami Open quarter-finals in March.[/p][p]But Sinner is fully aware of the added confidence Zverev has after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, banishing the memories of a string of agonising near-misses.[/p][p][b]"He is very, very aggressive at the moment. His confidence is good. He's very relaxed on court at the moment, so this is good,"[/b] said the top seed of his final opponent.[/p][p]Sinner and Zverev have dropped just two sets each at Wimbledon this year, with the Italian coming from two sets to one down in a first-round scare against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kecmanovic-miomir/MTQ5CPOR/"]Miomir Kecmanovic[/a].[/p][p][b]"I knew mentally I had to raise my level, which I have done, so I am very happy,"[/b] Sinner said.[/p][video alt="Sinner vs Zverev (video preview)" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8e779ba9-7b8b-46a3-ab7d-3b56d909a3a8" id="f6f85374-c8cb-4b82-ba89-5756681a77b6" /][p]He saved his best performance so far for a semi-final dismantling of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a], ruthlessly swatting aside the 39-year-old to exact revenge for his Australian Open last-four loss to the Serb in January.[/p][h2]Zverev 'can do it again'[/h2][p]Zverev will be in his fifth Grand Slam final after finally shedding the unwanted tag as the most talented player of his generation never to win a major.[/p][p][b]The 29-year-old can become the seventh man in the Open era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back to back.[/b][/p][p]He would join an illustrious list featuring only Alcaraz, Djokovic, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nadal-rafael/xUwlUnRK/"]Rafael Nadal[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/federer-roger/GrsQDFC0/"]Roger Federer[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borg-bjorn/EcVHJwIF/"]Bjorn Borg[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/laver-rod/hIHLBalB/"]Rod Laver[/a].[/p][p][b]"Jannik has won Wimbledon last year. Again, I think the serve-return patterns are going to be very, very important,"[/b] he said.[/p][embed guid="3527fe83-17dd-4c3c-8320-959ef10e25db" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2075647883374657842" social-type="twitter" /][p]Just 12 months ago, Zverev suffered an embarrassing Wimbledon first-round exit against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rinderknech-arthur/pIxZZsof/"]Arthur Rinderknech[/a].[/p][p]Now he is on the brink of becoming the first German man to win Wimbledon since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stich-michael/Cv8J5R1B/"]Michael Stich[/a] in 1991.[/p][p]He is the first male German finalist at Wimbledon since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/becker-boris/SIpngDCG/"]Boris Becker[/a] in 1995.[/p][p]Asked if he felt liberated by his French Open final win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Flavio Cobolli[/a], Zverev said: [b]"Yes, one thing, for sure, once you win a major you know how to do it, and you feel like you can do it again. You have this feeling inside of you."[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=n5DWLXD5"]Follow the men's final at Wimbledon here.[/a][/b][/p]