Wimbledon 2026: Jannik Sinner ends Novak Djokovic's dream as Alexander Zverev enters first final

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev booked their places in the Wimbledon men's singles final with commanding straight-set victories on Friday, ending the title hopes of Novak Djokovic and British wildcard Arthur Fery. World number one Sinner moved one step closer to defending his Wimbledon crown by defeating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The convincing victory ended Djokovic's pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title. Sinner will now face Alexander Zverev in Sunday's championship match after the German cruised past Britain's Arthur Fery 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-4.

Centre Court spectators had hoped to witness another memorable performance from Djokovic and a dream run from Fery, but both Sinner and Zverev produced clinical displays built on powerful groundstrokes and dominant serving. The Italian will compete in his second consecutive Wimbledon final as he seeks a fifth Grand Slam title, while Zverev has reached his first Wimbledon final and is chasing his second major championship. Sinner enters the title clash with significant momentum, having won his last nine meetings against Zverev, including four victories this season.

The reigning champion also carries a 13-match winning streak at Wimbledon, while Zverev arrives on a 13-match unbeaten run in Grand Slam competition. A victory on Sunday would also give Sinner his 100th career Grand Slam match win, repeating his triumph over Zverev in the 2025 Australian Open final. "It means a lot to me to play one more final here. It's the most special tournament we have," said Sinner, who exited in the second round of the recent French Open.

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‘I would like to, at least one more time’, says Djokovic

At 24, Sinner will contest his seventh Grand Slam final and his first since finishing runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at last year's US Open. Although he was pushed to five sets in the opening round against Miomir Kecmanovic, Sinner has steadily improved throughout the tournament, dropping only two sets overall. "I knew mentally I had to raise my level, which I have done so I am very happy," Sinner said. "I'm happy where I am, happy to be back in the final and we hope for a good final on Sunday."

For Zverev, Sunday's showdown marks his fifth Grand Slam final as he continues his rise following his breakthrough major success. The 29-year-old has an opportunity to become only the seventh man in the Open era to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season. "Jannik has won Wimbledon last year. Again, I think the serve-return patterns are going to be very, very important," he said.

Just a year after suffering a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon against Arthur Rinderknech, Zverev has transformed his fortunes and now stands one win away from becoming the first German man to lift the Wimbledon trophy since Michael Stich in 1991. He is also the first German men's singles finalist at Wimbledon since Boris Becker reached the final in 1995. Asked whether his French Open triumph over Flavio Cobolli had given him added confidence, Zverev said, "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."

Despite another semifinal defeat, Djokovic insisted he is not ready to say goodbye to Wimbledon. "I would like to, at least one more time," he said when asked if he plans to return next year. The Serbian great will be nearly 40 when the next Wimbledon begins as he continues his pursuit of Roger Federer's record eight Wimbledon singles titles. Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open and has now lost six major semi-finals during that span.

Although Arthur Fery's remarkable run ended in the last four, the British wildcard remained proud of his breakthrough performance. "I'm proud of how I handled the progression of the tournament and how I kept going in every match. It might have been just a step too far today," the world number 114 said.