The Wimbledon final, the third of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, brings together the two best players this season: Italy's Jannik Sinner, world No. 1, and his soon-to-be runner-up Alexander Zverev, while the German's victory at Roland Garros makes it difficult to predict the winner.

Before Roland Garros, where Zverev finally won his first Grand Slam title at age 29, the Italian was certain to be the heavy favorite for the title on the grass courts of London.

The 24-year-old Sinner, winner of four Grand Slams and defending Wimbledon champion, who also won the first five Masters 1000 tournaments this year, has won 10 of 14 matches against his older rival, including the last nine. He has also won the last six matches without dropping a set.

The Italian said after beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals, speaking about facing Zverev: 'Whatever happened between us before, that doesn't matter.'

He added: 'Since then, he won a Grand Slam in Paris, which gave him a lot of confidence. We can see the level he is showing at Wimbledon, where he has never gone past the fourth round.'

In a related context, Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean, who reached the semifinals in London in 2003 and 2004, said that Zverev's victory in Paris, after three losses in Grand Slam finals, 'anyway, freed him from a burden.'

He added: 'He has never won a title on grass, but thanks to his serve and offensive skills,' this unfamiliar surface might finally smile upon him, added Grosjean, a former world No. 4 who now works as a consultant for beIN Sports.

In the absence of Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, who is still suffering from a right wrist injury and will be replaced by Zverev as world No. 2 from Monday, the opportunity is ripe for the German to confirm his place at the top of world tennis.

To achieve victory in Paris, he did not have to beat Sinner (eliminated in the second round), nor Alcaraz (did not play due to injury), nor Djokovic, who was defeated in the third round, the only player who seriously challenged the Italian-Spanish duo on the courts in recent years.

Thus, defeating the world No. 1 in a Grand Slam final would allow Zverev to begin solidifying the idea of a three-way, or even four-way, competition, depending on how long Djokovic continues his quest for a 25th major title at age 39.

Zverev commented after ending the run of British wildcard Arthur Fery (world No. 114) in the semifinals: 'When you win a Grand Slam, you feel deep down that you can do it again.'

He said: 'I feel I have put a lot of effort into improving my game. When you improve your forehand and backhand, your serve, and your return, you are sure to win more matches. It's that simple.'

Zverev's reputation has suffered somewhat off the court, unlike Sinner and Alcaraz, as he has been the target of domestic violence allegations in recent years from two former partners, which he has always denied, even going so far as to file defamation lawsuits.

Better than Murray and Medvedev?

Since the start of Wimbledon, the German has lost only two sets: the first in his opening match against Belgium's Alexander Blockx (36), and the second in the round of 16 against Czech Jiri Lehecka (14).

Sinner lost two sets in the first round against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic (50) in a hard-fought five-set victory, before eventually regaining his rhythm.

The Italian, who sent Zverev into a spiral of self-doubt after beating him in the 2025 Australian Open final, delivered a stunning performance against Djokovic on Friday.

Djokovic, who dominated the world No. 1 ranking for 428 weeks, said with great sportsmanship: 'I lost to a better player. I was one or two levels below him,' about the world No. 1.

If Zverev manages to achieve the feat of beating the Italian star on Sunday, he would become the first player in the Open Era (which began in 1968) to win a Grand Slam tournament immediately after the tournament in which he won his first major title.

It is an achievement that neither Scotland's Andy Murray nor Russia's Daniil Medvedev managed, as both lost in the Melbourne final after winning the US Open.