Can Rinderknech Upset Zverev at Wimbledon 2025?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Arthur Rinderknech achieved his first Top 5 victory.
- The match against Zverev lasted nearly five hours.
- Rinderknech's net play was exceptional, winning 80% of points at the net.
- Taylor Fritz also had a thrilling match, securing a comeback win.
- Wimbledon 2025 has seen surprising results, with multiple upsets in the early rounds.
London, July 1 (NationPress) The All-England Club witnessed another wave of surprises on the second consecutive day as Arthur Rinderknech from France defeated third seed Alexander Zverev in a gripping five-set match to advance to the men's singles second round of Wimbledon 2025 on Tuesday. Rinderknech triumphed over Zverev with scores of 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, marking his first victory against a Top 5 player.
The match was suspended on Monday night due to the Wimbledon curfew, with the players locked at one set each. When action resumed on Tuesday under an open roof, Rinderknech took control, winning the third set decisively and managing to recover from a 5-3 lead loss in the fourth-set tie-break, finally concluding the match after four hours and 44 minutes.
He clinched victory on his third match point with a stunning backhand winner—one of the impressive 79 he executed during the match—crosscourt. The World No. 72 fell to the ground in joy before standing to soak in the applause from the Centre Court Crowd.
Zverev entered the competition with a solid 6-2 record on grass this season, having reached the finals in Stuttgart and the semi-finals in Halle. However, he struggled to effectively challenge Rinderknech in the baseline exchanges.
Rinderknech, who previously upset World No. 10 Ben Shelton at The Queen’s Club earlier this month, outperformed Zverev in rallies and showcased sharp net play, applying pressure on the German.
With an impressive 80 percent (44/55) of net points won, Rinderknech aims to progress to the third round of Wimbledon for the first time as he faces Cristian Garin in the next match.
Zverev's quest for a first major title continues, as he becomes the fourth Top 10 player to exit this year's Championships, joining Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, and Daniil Medvedev.
In another match on No. 1 Court, Taylor Fritz mounted a comeback against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to secure victory in a tough contest.
Similar to Rinderknech's match, play was halted due to the curfew, with the score tied at 6-7(6), 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(6). Fritz, who had fallen behind 1/5 in the fourth-set tie-break, managed to push the match to a final set, which he won 6-4 with the roof open on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded American, now holding a 13-11 record in fifth sets, arrived in London after clinching his fourth title at Eastbourne. He aims for his 10th win of the grass-court season against 's-Hertogenbosch champion Gabriel Diallo on Wednesday.