Jannik Sinner was forced to give back his Wimbledon trophy less than an hour after winning the prestigious prize at Centre Court on Sunday.
The world No 1 successfully defended his crown with a four-set victory over Alexander Zverev, securing the fifth Grand Slam title of his career and sparking emotional celebrations in south-west London.
But despite becoming champion once again, Sinner was never allowed to take the iconic gold trophy home.
That is because the original Wimbledon trophy permanently belongs to the All England Club.
Instead, every men’s singles champion receives a smaller replica, while the original remains in the club’s possession and is only used for official presentations and celebrations.
The rule dates back to the 1880s after the first two Wimbledon trophies were won outright by William Renshaw.
Renshaw claimed the Field Cup and later the Challenge Cup by winning the Championships three years in succession, prompting organisers to ensure future trophies would remain the property of the tournament.
Although Sinner has now won Wimbledon in consecutive years, the long-standing tradition meant his time with the original trophy was always going to be brief.
Jannik Sinner was forced to give back his Wimbledon trophy less than an hour after winning the prestigious prize at Centre Court on Sunday
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REUTERS
Jannik Sinner embraced his father in the crowd after overcoming Alexander Zverev to win Wimbledon | REUTERS
Following the trophy presentation, the 24-year-old was escorted through the Centre Court tunnel, where he viewed the updated honours board displaying his name among Wimbledon champions.
He was then taken to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales, alongside Prince George and Princess Charlotte, before returning to pose for photographs on the Centre Court balcony.
Sinner also enjoyed a private celebration with his coaching team, including Darren Cahill, while proudly holding the famous trophy.
However, viewers watching the BBC’s coverage soon noticed the moment the celebrations came to an end.
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Former British No 1 Tim Henman joked: “He’s done well to hold on to the trophy that long.”
Moments later, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton appeared to collect it.
“There she goes,” Henman added. “‘You’ve had enough of that!'”
Presenter Clare Balding then explained why the trophy was being removed.
“That’s it for another year,” she said. “He’ll get the three-quarter-sized replica which will go home with him.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Sinner had spoken of his pride after successfully defending the title.
“We prepared in the best possible way, me and my team,” he said.
“I have to thank the whole team, the whole support I get from the whole box.
Jannik Sinner hailed Alexander Zverev after Sunday’s Wimbledon final
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“My mum, I see her, she left the stadium a couple of times.
“Being a player it’s not easy, you know? But in the same time it’s been an amazing final once again.”
The Italian also paid tribute to runner-up Zverev before thanking the Centre Court crowd for creating what he described as the best atmosphere in tennis.
“There is no better place honestly to play tennis, standing here,” Sinner said.
“You can feel the nerves on the Sunday morning when you wake up.
“You know that this is a very, very special day and you never know how many times you can come back on Sunday.”
