Alexander Zverev faces Wimbledon final without grandmother over visa rules

German second seed Alexander Zverev will be without his grandmother for Sunday’s Wimbledon final against Jannik Sinner after she was denied entry to the UK due to visa restrictions.

The French Open champion secured his place in the tournament’s showpiece by dispatching British wildcard Arthur Fery in straight sets on Friday.

However, family celebrations in London will be severely limited following the expiration of his grandmother’s 90-day visitation allowance.

Extended background checks prevent travel

As a Russian passport holder, she is subject to extended background checks that make securing a late visa practically impossible.

The world number two expressed faint hope that high-level diplomatic intervention might resolve the situation before the weekend.

With the German Chancellor expected to attend Centre Court, the finalist joked that political strings could be pulled to expedite the process.

Despite the optimistic plea, strict immigration protocols mean his long-time supporter will have to watch the grass-court final from home.

World number one stands in way of back-to-back majors

On the court, the newly crowned Paris champion faces a monumental challenge to secure his second consecutive Grand Slam title.

The defending Wimbledon champion booked his spot in Sunday’s clash by overcoming legendary Serbian Novak Djokovic in their semi-final.

The Italian top seed holds a formidable psychological advantage, having triumphed in all nine of their previous professional meetings.

Their most recent Grand Slam encounter saw the world number one successfully defend his Australian Open crown against the German earlier in 2025.