Understanding Tennis Balls and Set Structure at Wimbledon
Wimbledon uses Slazenger tennis balls, with new balls introduced every nine games in a match, as per ATP rules. In a men’s final, which is a best-of-five-sets match, it typically involves 20–40 games depending on the competitiveness of the players.
Tennis Balls Per Match
For instance, the 2025 French Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner lasted 41 games, requiring around 36–45 balls (equivalent to 4–5 sets of nine balls each).
Overall Usage
The entire 2025 Wimbledon Championships saw over 54,000 Slazenger balls used across all matches, with balls being changed every nine games to ensure consistent play.
Set Details at Wimbledon
The Wimbledon men’s final is a best-of-five-sets match, where the winner must secure three sets to claim victory. The match can end in three, four, or five sets, depending on the game’s outcome.
In the 2025 French Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner, the match extended to five sets, lasting a record 5 hours and 29 minutes, making it the longest French Open final in history.
Schedule Impact
The final had to be delayed from its usual 2:00 PM BST start to 4:00 PM BST due to the preceding women’s doubles final going into a third set.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
The winner of the Wimbledon final earns £3 million ($4.05 million USD), while the runner-up receives £1.52 million ($2.05 million USD). Additionally, the winner gains 2,000 ATP points, which play a crucial role in the race for the ATP Year-End No. 1 spot.
Alcaraz currently leads Sinner by 2,240 points in the Live Race to Turin, but a win by Sinner would narrow this margin to 1,540 points.
In their ATP Head2Head, Alcaraz holds an 8-4 advantage over Sinner, winning their last five encounters, including the 2025 French Open final. Sinner’s sole victory was on grass at Wimbledon 2022.
