Alexander Zverev turned his tenth straight defeat to Jannik Sinner into one of the lighter moments of Wimbledon‘s fortnight. Speaking on Centre Court moments after falling in Sunday’s final, the German told Sinner he didn’t “really like him anymore,” a joke that spread quickly across social media even as fans praised the sportsmanship behind it.Sinner won the match 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 to defend his Wimbledon title and capture his fifth Grand Slam trophy, but it was Zverev’s on-court remarks that dominated conversation in the hours afterward.
Alexander Zverev makes hilarious Jannik Sinner remark after 10th straight defeat
Alexander Zverev opened his runner-up speech with a line aimed squarely at his rival. “I don’t really like you anymore,” he told Sinner, before adding that he’d lost to him nine times in a row. That count was actually off by one, since Sunday’s result was Zverev’s tenth consecutive loss to the World No. 1, a detail several outlets noted at the time. He quickly turned serious, crediting Sinner for once again showing why he’s the sport’s best player and praising the Italian’s coaching team for helping guide him from outside the top 10 to the No. 1 ranking.Zverev also thanked his own team for a strong two-month stretch that carried him from never having reached a Wimbledon quarterfinal to playing in his first final on the lawns, at age 29.
Fans quickly react to Alexander Zverev’s playful Jannik Sinner jab
The line spread fast on social media, with tennis fans weighing in on both the joke and Zverev’s grace in defeat.@httpsmhmod: “Sinner is officially his sleep paralysis demon 😂”@ripcrown67: “Zverev still on quite a roll — Winning one Major, runnerup in the next.”@billielaing1: “Zverev always gives a good interview. Has a sense of humour and doesn’t take himself seriously”@StalkerakoDjk: “Guess he’s finally upgraded from ‘I don’t like you’ to ‘I’m starting a fan club for my nemesis.’ 👌”@Kev2000_NL: “It’s crazy how Zverev can lose 9 times against the same opponent. He wasn’t even bad today, but Sinner is still better…”@cici_obi: “😂That face when he said it. Sinner’s just too consistent. Great final though, both played their hearts out.”
Jannik Sinner defeats Alexander Zverev to secure his fifth Grand Slam title
Jannik Sinner of Italy, left helps up Alexander Zverev of Germany who fell during the men’s singles final at Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The final lived up to its billing between the tour’s top two ranked players. Zverev won a tight opening-set tiebreak, snapping a 14-set losing streak against Sinner in the process, before the Italian took control, winning the second-set breaker and closing out the match in straight sets from there. Sinner finished with 57 winners to Zverev’s 44, with his forehand doing much of the damage.The win made Sinner just the tenth man in the professional era to successfully defend a Wimbledon title, and it came on the back of a dominant season that included five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles between March and May. He earned roughly $4.8 million for the win, with Zverev taking home $2.4 million as runner-up.Zverev, who won this year’s French Open, saw his bid for back-to-back majors end short, but he leaves London having reached his second consecutive Grand Slam final and closing in on a career-high world ranking. Whether he can finally solve Sinner remains the open question hanging over the rest of his season.
