Tennis great Mats Wilander has suggested that Alexander Zverev lacked the belief to beat Jannik Sinner in the 2026 Wimbledon final despite praising the German’s performance.

Zverev was beaten 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 by Sinner, the world No 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion, in his first-ever final at the grass-court Grand Slam.

The 29-year-old, who has replaced Carlos Alcaraz as the world No 2, had not previously progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.

He was aiming to win a second successive Grand Slam title after securing his maiden major last month at the 2026 French Open.

Zverev has now lost 10 consecutive matches against Sinner and trails the head-to-head 4-11, having last beaten the Italian at the 2023 US Open.

This was, though, a much-improved performance from Zverev after he failed to win a set in his previous six defeats to Sinner.

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In an interview with L’Equipe, Wilander assessed that Zverev still needs to bridge a mental gap to match Sinner and Alcaraz.

“I imagined that after his Roland Garros title, Zverev would play with more freedom — and that is precisely what we saw during this Wimbledon — but there is still a gap, not physically, but mentally,” said the seven-time major champion.

“I’m not sure if he truly believed he could beat Sinner. That said, I’d say the gap will narrow a bit more following this final, and Sascha should continue to close the distance over the next twelve months at least — especially since he achieved this on grass, a surface where he is far less comfortable than on hard courts.

“For a player of his calibre, Alcaraz and Sinner cannot remain untouchable forever.”

The Swede went on to highlight what sets Sinner and Alcaraz apart from the rest of the ATP Tour.

“I thought Sascha Zverev would have an even better chance of winning,” said the former world No 1.

“He played magnificently in the first set and for much of the second, but Jannik showed— much like Alcaraz — that he is still a level above when it comes to the big points, the ones that turn a match around.

“Both of them have the ability to turn a contest that seems very tight — one that even feels like it’s on the verge of swinging your way — into something that ends up looking far less complicated than it initially appeared.”

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