Jannik Sinner Stuns Boris Becker at Wimbledon: “It’s never been like this here in London”

Jannik Sinner stunned Boris Becker at Wimbledon. His sensational performance against Novak Djokovic allowed the South Tyrolean to reach the final on the grass courts of London—his second in a row after the one in 2025. And the man who, on those very same courts, became the youngest champion ever—and went on to win the title two more times—namely the legendary German champion, admitted that he had seen his successor play at levels never before reached in recent weeks.

“Tonight we saw the best Sinner of the tournament,” Becker admitted bluntly to ‘Sky Sport’. “We saw him back at the level he was at in March, April, and May, when he won all those Masters 1000 tournaments in a row. But he had to play that way, because he was facing Djokovic, who had also reached the semifinals in spectacular fashion. But Jannik prepared well; in this match, he was like a horse that had to be careful not to jump too high.”

Becker then focused on Sinner’s strategy, as well as the reasons why his illustrious rival was unable to counter it. “He started with great momentum, took advantage of the opportunity to be more aggressive than his opponent, and in the end, it worked out well for him. I still liked Djokovic’s first two sets, even though he lost them. Obviously, he’s not 25 anymore, but he’s playing against a mirror image of himself. Because Jannik is just like Nole was at his age. He’s doing the same things Djokovic did when he was young; even midway through the second set, he took a small step back that didn’t change the outcome of the match. Because—not from a physical standpoint, but on a technical level—he’s facing an opponent who plays just as he did at the peak of his career,” is the highly authoritative opinion of the former German tennis player.

From a technical standpoint, the match unfolded similarly in all three sets, with Sinner managing to break Djokovic’s serve at key moments: the decisive break came in the ninth game of the first set, in the seventh game of the second, while in the third set, the South Tyrolean immediately broke the Serb’s serve at the end of a very long first game that lasted about nine minutes, with Djokovic saving three break points before finally yielding. The match ended in just under two and a half hours with a decisive 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory, bringing Sinner’s record to seven wins in twelve head-to-head matches against the Serbian star.

Sinner’s first words after the victory were, significantly, a tribute to the opponent he had just defeated. “Being back in the Wimbledon final is something special. But so is getting there after beating Novak Djokovic, given how much of an inspiration Nole is to the younger generations after everything he’s achieved in tennis,” the South Tyrolean said immediately after the match. “I lost to him in Australia, and I knew it would be tough here. I had to adapt; in fact, I tried to be aggressive and effective on my serve. After all, I was facing the player with the best return on the entire ATP Tour.” The reference to the loss in Australia refers to the Australian Open semifinal last January, when Djokovic won in five sets, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Among the weapons that made the difference against Djokovic, his serve stands out in particular, having become one of Sinner’s most obvious strengths in this tournament. The Italian has recorded a total of 97 aces so far, averaging 19.4 per match, and has won over 80% of the points on his first serve: an extraordinary improvement compared to the past, the result of extensive technical work that has led to changes in his footwork, ball toss, and variety of shots. It’s no coincidence that, on the eve of the semifinal, Sinner had already worked intensively on this very aspect during Thursday’s training session—held in sweltering heat with temperatures reaching 33 degrees—using two sparring partners positioned to cover the entire court to simulate Djokovic’s mobility.

On Sunday, Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the final, who defeated home favorite Arthur Fery in three sets in the first semifinal of the day. For the South Tyrolean, this marks his second consecutive Wimbledon final: last year, he won the title by defeating Carlos Alcaraz 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, in one of the most thrilling finals in recent years. The player from Murcia, still recovering from an injury sustained in the spring, is the notable absentee from this year’s tournament. Sinner is therefore aiming for a repeat victory, buoyed by his consistency on the London grass, which has seen him reach the quarterfinals at the Championships for the fifth consecutive year.