LONDON: When Alexander Zverev missed an early forehand in the second-set tie-break on Sunday Wimbledon Final After Jannik Sinner returned a powerful serve in play, the Italian turned to his box, fist clenched. Coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi were already on their feet, cheering on their players. It was the first real crack at German game about two hours into the game and the 24-year-old felt it instantly. It was time to change gears.That’s exactly what he did in the next 10 minutes to level the match. His serve hit the points, the forehand crackled with more intent and the version of Sinner reserved for the biggest moments emerged. There was another phase in the game when he reached for that equipment. Early in the fourth set, with the wind swirling and the match past the three-hour mark, Sinner trailed 1-2, 15-30. At the other end, Zverev knew it was the moment he had to seize if he was going to drag the final into a fifth set. Sinner swung his racket, stepped to the line and delivered exactly what the situation called for, three service winners.Every player on the tour knows that the Italian has another level. Few matches illustrate this better than last year’s Wimbledon final, when it came after a Roland Garros defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. For most of Sunday’s match he went stride for stride with his 29-year-old opponent, safe in the knowledge that if the match called for it, there was always another gear.After the final, Zverev acknowledged the five-time major champion’s place at the top of the game, calling Sinner “the best player in the world” and saying that only two, maybe three players, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and he himself, could still push the Italian.Although the ability to raise his level was not only a product of confidence. It was hired during one of the most difficult years of Sinner’s career.If the world number 1 came to Wimbledon last year emotionally drained after letting three championship points slip away in the Roland Garros final, I returned to SW19 this year bearing a different scar. Chasing a career Grand Slam in Paris, Sinner led Juan Manuel Cerundolo for two sets and 5-1 in the second round before his energy levels dropped alarmingly, ending in a five-set defeat.The collapse immediately raised questions. What was wrong with the world No. 1? Was the problem physical? Mental? Or a combination of both?Sinner has never publicly explained exactly what happened in Paris, but shortly afterwards he underwent a battery of tests in Milan before traveling to London for his title defence. He later told Italian media at Wimbledon that he now knows what caused the collapse and is doing everything he can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.This perspective extends beyond the physical. “There is no failure if you don’t win a Grand Slam,” he said on Sunday. “We talk about five Grand Slams, but at the end of the day, it’s five days of many other days. You just want to have fun. Today was a very hard day. If I lose, it’s still a great day. Playing a Grand Slam final is so rare and so special.”The defending champion made a slow start to his title defense, needing five sets to overcome Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round. Cahill, who had considered quitting coaching last year before being persuaded by Sinner to stay, said the world No 1 arrived in London 12 days early for what was one of the hottest Wimbledons on record.“Look, he’s a redhead who lives in northern Italy, who grew up in the snow and the Alps. The hot weather is a little different for him than for most people,” said Cahill.The Australian said what impressed him most was not that Sinner had been knocked down, but how quickly he got back to work.“We have a phone call. Okay, guys, what do we do? Let’s get back on the court. What are we going to work on? What’s the plan? Where are we going? What do we need to do to get better?” I saidThis may be Sinner’s greatest gift. His serve can survive, his forehand can dominate and his court coverage can suffocate opponents, but none of those define him as his response to adversity. Paris exposed to weakness, Wimbledon revealed the answer. The extra gear he found against Zverev on Center Court wasn’t born in the final itself. It had been forged in disappointment, honed on the practice fields and unleashed precisely when the biggest match of the fortnight had called for it.