What Alexander Zverev was heard saying to Jannik Sinner on-court after scary fall derails Wimbledon final
Alexander Zverev produced a scary moment during the Wimbledon final as he fell to the ground clutching his knee during a tense third set.
There had yet to be a break of serve between Sinner and Zverev in the first two and a half sets, with the two men each winning a tie-break to level the match.
The third set continued to be a cagey, but high level, affair until Zverev hit the deck after coming unstuck from a cheeky drop shot from the Italian.
The moment dramatically changed the set as Sinner produced the first break of the match and he subsequeny closed out the set to take a 2-1 lead over the German.
According to Todd Woodbridge, who was watching on near the coaching boxes for the BBC, Zverev shared some words with Sinner after he hit the deck.
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“When he rolled over on his back, Zverev looked up to Sinner and said ‘I’m OK and fine’ but it was a turning point,” said the former Grand Slam champion.
“Once he dropped serve, he was looking up to his box asking ‘What do I do?’ Jannik Sinner is so strong mentally. The set could have gone either way.
“These small moments are so important,” he added. “Zverev has to come out with a positive mind. I hope he doesn’t have the attitude of ‘poor me’.”
Zverev did not call for the trainer after he fell over, but both Andre Agassi and Andrew Castle were worried for the star’s condition after the fall.
“He didn’t look at all comfortable going out to the right (early in 4th set). Is that fatigue or hurt?,” asked Castle while on commentary duties for the BBC.
“I wouldn’t call it fatigue,” responded Agassi. “I have seen this guy play for a long time. I don’t know if I have ever seen him start to really lose an edge physically out there. He is bending his right knee now as we speak… feeling something.”
With just one set away from losing the Wimbledon final, Zverev will be hoping his Wimbledon titles hopes don’t come down to a disappointing fall on Centre Court.
The match up to the point of the fall had largely all come down to both men’s serve. Both Zverev and Sinner were remarkable on serve during the first two sets, which was the major reason neither men really got a sniff at break points.
Having lost nine straight times to Sinner, the opening to the Wimbledon final was undoubtedly the best Zverev has played against the Italian in years.
