'Not the trophy I wanted': Alexander Zverev proud of Wimbledon runner-up finish

London: Despite being unhappy with the trophy he accepted at Wimbledon 2026, Alexander Zverev is proud of his journey despite losing to top-seeded Jannik Sinner in the men's singles final on Sunday.

After finishing as runner-up in the men's singles at Wimbledon 2026, Alexander Zverev shared a post on Instagram with a picture of him holding the runners-up trophy alongside the winner Jannik Sinner.

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He wrote, "Not the trophy I wanted to hold, but still one to be proud of. Thanks for your support over these last two weeks. See you next year @wimbledon."

Earlier, Alexander Zverev graciously congratulated the Italian after the match and hailed him as the "best player in the world" following his successful title defence.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony after the final, Zverev acknowledged Sinner's dominance, joking about his losing streak against the World No. 1 before praising his consistency at the highest level.

"Yeah, first of all, Jannik. I don't really like you anymore. I lost to you 9 times in a row," Zverev said with a smile.

"Congratulations to Jannik. He showed once again why he's the best player in the world. It was great to share Centre Court with you on finals weekend. It's a great honour to be here. Unfortunately, it didn't go my way, but congratulations first of all," he added.

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The German also congratulated Sinner's coaching team, crediting them for playing a vital role in the Italian's rise from outside the top 10 to becoming a multiple Grand Slam champion and World No 1.

"Also, congrats to Jannik's team. You guys have been together for many, many years now. You guys are World No. 1 now, but you started outside of the top 10 and worked your way into being Grand Slam champions and World No. 1. It's definitely a team effort. Jannik is the first one to admit it. Congratulations to you guys. You really deserve it," Zverev said.

Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon men's singles title with a 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alexander Zverev, claiming his fifth Grand Slam title and first major crown of the 2026 season.

The win made Sinner the 10th player to retain the Wimbledon men's singles title and extended his winning streak against Zverev to 10 matches.

The Italian bounced back from an early French Open exit to secure his sixth ATP title of the year, while Zverev's hopes of winning back-to-back Grand Slams ended despite reaching his second consecutive major final.