Alexander Zverev has smashed the nine-tournament winning streak that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner had imposed on men’s tennis, a run that had seen the pair share every major title between them since the start of last season. The German, seeded second at the All England Club this year, halted that sequence with his maiden Grand Slam victory at the French Open last month, and has now carried that momentum into Wimbledon, where he reached the third round after a straight-sets win over Valentin Royer (6-1, 6-3, 7-6(3)).
Zverev’s breakthrough in Paris – where he defeated Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final – made him the first German man to win a major singles title since Boris Becker in 1996. It also snapped the stranglehold of the sport’s new generation: Alcaraz and Sinner had won nine consecutive Grand Slams between them, a run that included Alcaraz’s two Wimbledon titles and Sinner’s defence of his crown last year. Sinner’s second-round exit at the French Open ended that streak, but Zverev’s subsequent triumph in the same tournament cemented the shift.
Now, at Wimbledon, the 28-year-old faces a different challenge. His best result here remains the third round, and he has never looked entirely comfortable on grass. Yet his second-round performance against Royer – a 25-year-old qualifier – was authoritative, and he has shown the resilience that carried him through a tough five-set first-round match against Alexander Blockx. Zverev is also one of the few players capable of matching the power and movement of Alcaraz and Sinner, making his presence in the draw a significant obstacle for anyone hoping to extend the new generation’s dominance.
Alcaraz absent, Sinner defends
Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time Wimbledon champion, is conspicuously missing from this year’s Championships. A persistent wrist injury has kept him off court since April, forcing him to withdraw from both the French Open and Wimbledon. It marks the first time since 2020 that the 22-year-old Spaniard will miss consecutive Grand Slams, and his absence leaves a gaping hole in the top half of the draw – a void that Zverev, as the second seed, is well placed to exploit.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, remains in the tournament but has already endured a stern test. The Italian, who has not won a Grand Slam this year prior to Wimbledon, survived a five-set scare against Miomir Kecmanović in the first round – his first competitive match since May 26, having opted not to play any warm-up events. He recovered with a straight-sets victory over Nuno Borges (7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4) in the second round, but the early struggles underline the challenge of defending a major title. Sinner has also set a new Italian record for Grand Slam main-draw wins, surpassing the great Nicola Pietrangeli.
Zverev’s significance: challenging the new guard
Zverev’s rise has reordered the narrative of men’s tennis. For much of the past two years, the conversation centred on the youth of Alcaraz and Sinner, who between them had collected nine consecutive Grand Slams – a feat not seen since the peak of the Big Three era. Zverev, now 28, had long been seen as a nearly-man, a player capable of beating anyone on his day but unable to close out the biggest titles. His victory at Roland Garros changed that, and it has shifted the balance of power at Wimbledon.
His historical weakness on grass – a surface that rewards serve, return and agility – makes his current form all the more notable. At the French Open he had to play five sets in the final; at Wimbledon he has dropped just one set in two matches. If he can navigate the third round, where he has repeatedly stalled, he could present a genuine threat to the established order. The absence of Alcaraz, in particular, opens a route that Zverev has never had before in south-west London.
The German’s breakthrough also carries broader implications. Before his French Open triumph, no German man had won a major singles title in three decades. Zverev now carries that weight, and his success has provided a counterpoint to the dominance of the sport’s younger stars. For the first time in years, a player outside the Alcaraz-Sinner axis – and not named Novak Djokovic – has stamped his authority on a major.
Djokovic rolls on; Rinderknech awaits
While Zverev chases a second consecutive Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic continues to defy the years. The 39-year-old, aiming for his eighth Wimbledon title and a record 25th Grand Slam, has advanced to the third round with minimal fuss. He swept past Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-2) in the second round, extending his winning streak against the Greek to 12 matches. Djokovic has dropped only one set in his two matches so far, committing just seven unforced errors against 33 winners against Tsitsipas, and has not lost his serve in the second round.
His opponent in the third round will be Arthur Rinderknech, the 25th seed, who has reached this stage for the second consecutive year. The Frenchman secured his place by defeating Martin Damm, firing 20 aces and facing no break points in a 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-3 victory. Rinderknech has spent more than six hours on court across his two wins, and this is the first-ever singles meeting between him and Djokovic. The tactical battle – between Rinderknech’s big serve and Djokovic’s peerless return – will be one of the standout contests of the third round.
Djokovic’s presence, even at 39, remains a constant in a tournament that has lost several high-profile names. Carlos Alcaraz is not the only absentee: Holger Rune (Achilles tendon), Lorenzo Musetti (thigh) and Britain’s Jack Draper (arm) have all withdrawn. Their departures have thinned the field, but the tournament has also introduced innovations, including video reviews for the first time in its 139-year history.
Prize money has increased by 20 per cent to £64.2 million, with singles champions each receiving £3.6 million. And in a nostalgic subplot, Serena Williams – a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion – has accepted a wild card into the singles draw and will also play doubles with her sister Venus, having received a wild card for that event as well.
