In a seismic shock that reverberated across the All England Club, French journeyman Arthur Rinderknech, ranked world No. 72, delivered the biggest win of his career on July 1, 2025, toppling third seed Alexander Zverev in a gripping five-set marathon on Centre Court. The 4-hour, 40-minute battle, spanning two days due to Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. curfew, ended with Rinderknech’s triumphant 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 victory, marking his first-ever top-five scalp and Zverev’s earliest Grand Slam exit since 2019. The 29-year-old Frenchman’s fearless performance, blending a thunderous serve with audacious net play, left the tennis world buzzing and Zverev grappling with a crisis of confidence as he admitted to feeling “very alone” and “lacking joy” in his post-match reflections.
The match, which began on Monday, June 30, under the Centre Court roof, set the stage for an intense showdown. Rinderknech, a relative unknown who only broke into the ATP top 100 in 2021, seized the first set in a tiebreak, capitalizing on Zverev’s inability to convert five break points. “I begin with the crowd, who kept screaming ‘Whooo’—that’s how I feel, too,” Rinderknech said in his on-court interview, his legs still trembling from the effort. Zverev, the German world No. 3, fought back to level the score in a dramatic second-set tiebreak, fending off two set points with a 136 mph ace and a roar of “f—— big balls” to his box. But when play resumed on Tuesday with the roof open, Rinderknech flipped the script, breaking Zverev twice in the third set to surge ahead 6-3.
Rinderknech’s game plan was a masterclass in grass-court tennis. His booming serve, which produced 25 aces, and relentless net approaches—winning 44 of 55 net points—kept Zverev on the defensive. The Frenchman’s deft volleys and stop shots exploited Zverev’s passive baseline play, which former pro Andrea Petkovic described as “lacking intensity in his footwork.” Despite squandering a 5-3 lead in the fourth-set tiebreak, Rinderknech regrouped in the decider, securing an early break at 2-1 and holding firm under pressure. On his third match point, he unleashed a crosscourt forehand winner, collapsing to the grass in disbelief as the Centre Court crowd erupted. “I only got six hours of sleep,” he admitted, reflecting on the overnight suspense, “but I’m so happy it’s over.”
For Zverev, the defeat was a crushing blow to his Grand Slam aspirations. The 28-year-old, who arrived at Wimbledon with a 6-2 grass-court record after reaching the Stuttgart final and Halle semifinals, has now lost three Grand Slam finals, including January’s Australian Open to Jannik Sinner. “I’m trying to find a way out of this hole,” Zverev said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I feel alone in life right now. It’s tough to find joy outside the court.” His 63% win rate at Wimbledon, the lowest among the majors, underscores his struggles on grass, where his powerful baseline game often fails to adapt to the surface’s demands. The loss, his second first-round Wimbledon exit, joins a string of upsets on a chaotic opening day that saw 13 men’s seeds fall, including Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev, and Lorenzo Musetti.
Rinderknech, mentored temporarily by compatriot Lucas Pouille, now faces Chile’s Cristian Garin, a lucky loser ranked No. 110, in the second round. His victory builds on a strong grass season, including wins over Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka at Queen’s Club, where he pushed Carlos Alcaraz in a tight quarterfinal. “It’s definitely the biggest win of my career,” Rinderknech declared, his confidence soaring. Meanwhile, Wimbledon 2025, already marked by a record-breaking 32.3°C opening day, continues to deliver surprises. With top seeds like Sinner and Alcaraz advancing and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic looming, Rinderknech’s heroics signal that the underdogs are ready to challenge the established order on the hallowed lawns of SW19
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