Zverev: A Rant About Jannik Sinner and the Wimbledon Final

For many fans, it’s just sour grapes; for others, it’s a lack of respect. Alexander Zverev’s comments during an event in New York—made during an interview with John McEnroe—did not sit well with many of Jannik Sinner’s fans.

The German tennis player, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, when asked about the Wimbledon final he lost to the Italian in four sets two months ago, expressed some regret about the match: “The final slipped away from me after I won the first set. I think I was playing better than him, but at some point I slipped.”

“I couldn’t serve well anymore after hitting my knees. I couldn’t hit hard, and he returned my shots better, so we had more rallies. I walked off the court a little angry at the end of the match.” Many social media users took issue with Zverev’s comments: “Embarrassing statements,” “Nothing but excuses,” “I just remember that Sinner has beaten him 10 times recently,” “It’s pathetic, and Jannik wasn’t even playing his best,” “Sinner beats Zverev even without his arms… poor loser,” “He’s distorting reality.”

Meanwhile, at the US Open, everything is going swimmingly for Zverev, who—after struggling in recent rounds—overwhelmed Italy’s Luciano Darderi in the round of 16 with a decisive 6-2, 6-2, 7-6, firing off 42 winners in a dominant performance that secured his spot among the top eight at the season’s final Grand Slam. The German tennis player is on the hunt for his second Grand Slam title after the one he won at Roland Garros a few months ago in Paris.