Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was reported at around 4.25pm, with crews quickly dispatched to the scene.

The fire prompted multiple 999 calls from members of the public and was visible from several locations around Darwen, including Winter Hill.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 16:25 on the 12th July, fire engines and specialist appliances in attendance at a wildfire near Belgrave Road, Darwen Moorland in Darwen. Firefighters are now at the scene and firefighting operations are underway.

“The aerial drone team are also in attendance, please do not fly drones nearby as you will obstruct emergency operations.

“Please avoid the area, thank you.”

Firefighters remained at the scene throughout.

By 6.20pm, smoke was blowing towards Tockholes, although officials confirmed that Darwen Tower was not at risk.

The service also warned the public to avoid flying drones in the area, as their aerial drone team was in attendance and unauthorised drones could disrupt emergency operations.

There were reports around 7pm suggesting that the blaze had been quelled, though Lancashire Fire and Rescue are yet to confirm this.

The cause of the incident is not yet known.

This incident follows an earlier wildfire the previous day near Dovestone Reservoir, with the blaze lasting into Sunday.

Smoke from that fire could be seen as far as Manchester City Centre.

Residents have been told to avoid part of Walthamstow as firefighters tackle a massive blaze while the Weaver London Overground line is currently suspended

Residents have been evacuated and people face traffic chaos as a blaze rips through property in Walthamstow from a fire on a railway embankment.

Around 125 firefighters are battling the blaze in northeast London which includes a railway embankment, as well as a house, gardens and sheds. Large plumes of smokes can be seen in the air for miles around the fire site.

Residents have been advised to avoid the area around Wood Street entirely and keep their windows and doors closed, as crews from London Fire Brigade work to tackle the blaze.

Roads closures are in place while the Weaver Overground line is suspended.

A statement from London Fire Brigade reads: “Crews are working hard to extinguish the fire in Walthamstow. Please avoid Wood Street and surrounding roads. The Weaver London Overground line is currently suspended.”

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Walthamstow at around 6.30pm today with more than 100 calls received as the the fire engulfed buildings and gardens that back on to the tracks.

It also states: “Twenty fire engines and around 125 firefighters have been called to a fire near Vallentin Road and Shernhall Street in Walthamstow.

“The fire has affected one house, multiple gardens and sheds as well as a railway embankment. Crews have been working hard to extinguish the fire as swiftly as possible.

“The incident has been producing a significant amount of smoke and people in the area are advised to keep their windows and doors at this time.

“Motorists are advised to avoid the area, including Wood Street, Shernhall Street and surrounding roads, as road closures are in place. The Weaver Overground line has been partially closed. Transport for London service updates can be found here.

“Two rest centres have been set up locally for residents affected by this incident in partnership with Waltham Forest Council. The Brigade received the first of over 100 calls at 1827 and Control Officers have mobilised crews from Tottenham, Bethnal Green, Walthamstow, Chingford and surrounding fire stations to the scene.

“A 32-metre turntable ladder is also in attendance and has been deployed as a water tower to help extinguish the fires from above. The Brigade’s drone team are also on scene, providing the Incident Commander with a greater situational awareness.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has stepped in to ‘assist’ local authorities in the wake of Lindsey Graham‘s unexpected death, adding to mounting skepticism surrounding the US Senator’s sudden passing at 71.  

The office of Graham, who had represented South Carolina since 2002, announced in the early hours of Sunday that the senator had ‘passed away from a brief and sudden illness.’ 

A 911 call for ‘cardiac arrest’ was placed from Graham’s residence around 8.30pm, but no official cause of death has been confirmed, according to multiple reports. 

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X on Sunday morning that the agency was ‘assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available.’

Graham was a vocal supporter of US involvement in conflicts abroad, including both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran clashes.

Federal law enforcement sources later told Fox News that as of Sunday, there was no indication of foul play.

Amidst the July 4th recess break in Washington, DC this past week, Graham travelled to Ukraine, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and even visited a drone facility which was later destroyed by the Russians.

Graham has also been targeted by Iranian leaders. An Iranian State TV host noted in a Sunday broadcast that she congratulated ‘the Iranian people on the death U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been sent to hell.’

Political commentators, liberal and conservative alike, have stepped up with their own theories about Graham’s cause of death.

DC Fire and EMS medical units and EMS supervisors deliver Senator Lindsey Graham to George Washington Hospital Emergency Room on the night of July 11, 2026. Senator Graham passed away in the early hours of July 12, 2026

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FBI Director Kash Patel is seen at a press conference in Washington, DC on July 1, 2026

Megan Mobbs, Director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative think tank, noted on X that ‘cardiac arrest tells us how his life ended. It does not tell us why his heart stopped.’

She also added that, ‘given the threat environment, the identities of America’s adversaries, and Senator Graham’s prominent role confronting them, the American people deserve certainty.’

‘That means a complete forensic autopsy, preservation of all relevant biological specimens, comprehensive toxicology and histology, and consultation with federal law enforcement and counterintelligence authorities,’ Mobbs concluded.

Conservative commentator Matt Van Swol shared a video of Graham on X from Ukraine this last week, noting, ‘I’m sorry, but Lindsey Graham dying out of the blue like this doesn’t make any sense at all.’

‘We have him on camera yesterday looking perfectly healthy. None of this is making any sense,’ Van Swol said.

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Right-wing journalist Laura Loomer called for an ‘investigation,’ into Graham’s death, especially as Russian president Vladimir ‘Putin’s advisor Alexander Dugin called for Lindsey Graham to be “flattened” exactly 4 months ago.’

While several figures were quick to assume foreign involvement in Graham’s death, others pointed to medical explanations.

Townhall columnist Dustin Grage shared that he was ‘told by a source in South Carolina that Senator Lindsey Graham has dealt with blood pressure issues since his 40s,’ also noting that, ‘His father also died of cardiac arrest at age 69.’

‘I know the conspiracy theories won’t stop, but sometimes life just happens. Not everything is a conspiracy,’ Grage added.

Top conservative talk radio host Dana Loesch commented on Grange’s post, noting that she agreed with his sentiment that Graham’s death appeared to be ‘sudden, but cardiac issues usually are.’

Trump shared a tribute to the late Senator on Truth Social shortly after the announcement was made.

‘Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Graham was one of Trump’s closest allies in the US Senate, consistently voting to enact the President’s agenda. The White House has lowered the flags to half-mast in his honor.

The senator was also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and Israel, and he advised the President on foreign policy matters pertaining to Russia and Iran.

In late March 2025, just a little more than a month after Trump took office, the President posted a lengthy endorsement of Graham, referring to the senator as ‘a wonderful friend.’

Vice President JD Vance posted his own lengthy tribute to Graham on Sunday, with whom he spent two years as colleagues in the US Senate, specifically adding that Graham ‘fought like hell for the things he believed in, and he was just as willing to go to bat for you when it counted.’

Congressman Jim Clyburn, the only Democrat representing South Carolina in Washington, also offered his condolences, sharing that their ‘political relationship was sometimes partisan and passionate, but always pleasant and productive on behalf of the people of South Carolina.’

————————————————

Genesis Scottish Open final round

-17 T Kim (Kor); -15 MW Lee (Aus); -13 R MacIntyre (Sco), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), J Keefer (US), K Nakajima (Jpn); -12 M Thorbjornsen (US), R McIlroy (NI); -11 SW Kim (Kor), V Perez (Fra)

Selected others: -9 T Fleetwood (Eng), V Hovland (Nor); -4 J Rahm (Spa), -2 J Thomas (US)

————————————————

Tom Kim’s drought is over. The South Korean shed tears of joy and relief after excelling on a compelling final day at the Genesis Scottish Open to claim his first title in three years.

Kim has endured a form and confidence crisis since his previous victory – as well as plummeting down the world rankings – but served a reminder of his talents with a faultless 64 to finish 17 under at the Renaissance Club.

The 24-year-old has sought counsel from Tiger Woods during the dark times and revealed the 15-time major winner was among the first to congratulate him on this long-awaited victory.

He triumphed by two shots, with Min Woo Lee the runner-up as crowd favourite Bob MacIntyre faltered in pursuit of a second home title, ending four adrift alongside Matt Fitzpatrick.

MacIntyre, Lee and Fitzpatrick had shared the lead after the fog-disrupted third round, but it was Kim who surged from one back for a brilliant win. He was the only player in the field to avoid a bogey in the fourth round.

“I can’t really wrap my mind over it,” said an emotional Kim of his win. “It’s really special and I’m just at a loss for words.

“Obviously I’ve had a tough couple years. I got to taste a lot of that humble pie and I got to really learn about myself and I’m still trying to grow, still trying to learn.

“I’m definitely appreciating this more now than I did a couple years ago, which is really cool. I thought about my family, all the people around my corner that have suffered with me and also celebrated with me and kind of remembering all those people really brought tears to my eyes.

“Obviously on TGL being on Tiger’s team, I’ve been able to ask him questions on certain things. He’s been really helpful a lot of the time. This was my first win in three years, and the first person that texted me was Tiger Woods. Shows you the person he is and how much he cares.”

As well as a winner’s prize of £1.2m, Kim secures a place in next year’s Masters at Augusta National.

Rory McIlroy’s third-round 73 left the world number two with too big a deficit to overcome despite matching Kim’s closing six-under 64, the lowest score of the day.

Americans Michael Thorbjornsen and Johny Keefer, who tied for seventh and third respectively, will make their Open Championship debuts next week, while the other spot at Royal Birkdale goes to Frenchman Victor Perez.

Henry Nowak pleaded with his killer, ‘I’m not a racist’, as he lay dying after being stabbed, newly released court documents have revealed. 

Vickrum Digwa, 23, used an eight-inch ceremonial dagger to stab Mr Nowak and told a ‘wicked lie’ about him to the first officers on the scene, claiming that the finance student shouted racist abuse, punched him and knocked off his turban.

The injured student was then arrested as he lay dying on the ground, drowning in his own blood. 

The teenager said four times to the police, ‘I’ve been stabbed’, to which one policeman replied, ‘I don’t think you have mate’.

Digwa was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years in prison for the murder, which sparked widespread outrage over Hampshire Police’s handling of the case.    

New court documents have revealed details of the moments after the stabbing. 

Andrew Mortimore, a resident of the street where the stabbing took place told the court that he and his wife Fiona were reading in bed at around 11.15pm. 

They then heard shouting and male voices ‘arguing loudly’. 

Police bodycam footage shows innocent victim Henry Nowak, 18, being forced into handcuffs by officers after he was stabbed repeatedly by a knife-obsessed Sikh man 

An image released by the CPS of killer Digwa wearing a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife 

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He told the court: ‘During the time I was observing these people outside the block of flats, I think I heard a male voice say, “I’m not racist.” I couldn’t hear anything else that was being said. These are the only actual words I think I heard.’

Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, told the jury: ‘Even as Henry is dying [he said] I’m not a racist… That was heard by Andrew Mortimore, one of the witnesses that was read to you, and as he lay dying, Henry denied that he was the attacker.’

The documents, first obtained by The Sunday Times, showed that the prosecutor had told the court that the murderer’s brother, Gurpreet, called the police and claimed Mr Nowak ‘verbally attacked my brother racially’. 

Mr Nowak can be heard pleading in the background: ‘No, I didn’t’.

Documents also showed that Mr Nowak’s former girlfriend had completely rejected claims that he was a racist. 

The woman of Jamaican and Irish descent told the court that her race had ‘never been an issue’ in their relationship. 

She said: ‘In fact, Henry was very proud of my heritage.’  

Mr Nowak died from drowning in his own blood shortly after his wrongful arrest.

Digwa, 23, was found guilty of murdering student Henry, 18, with an eight-inch ceremonial blade

Following the killer’s sentencing, the Nowak family released photos of Henry as a child

Judge William Mousley KC said he was ‘sure’ Mr Nowak never said anything racist to the murderer. 

Digwa was caught on camera saying ‘I am a bad man’ before the fatal attack. 

The documents also showed that police had secretly bugged a police van, which carried Digwa and his brother Gurpreet.

In the van, Gurpreet asked his brother: ‘What did you do? Did you do anything?’ Digwa replied ‘yes’ and pointed at the various parts of his body where he had stabbed Mr Nowak. 

Gurpreet told his brother: ‘You should have hit him or beaten him up. Why did you use the kirpan?’ Digwa replied: ‘I am a fool. I’m an idiot.’ 

It was revealed last month that it took eight minutes for police to find the stab wound that killed Mr Nowak. 

After realising that Mr Nowak was not breathing, police officers gave CPR but realised that blood was coming from his nose. 

After all of Henry’s clothes were cut away, the extent of his injuries became even more apparent. 

Henry pictured with his father Mark, who blasted police for how his son was treated in his final moments

‘Has he been stabbed there?’ the male officer asked, before saying he was ‘pushing on a [swear word] stab wound’.

When a paramedic ran up to them, the male police officer explained that they had ‘just discovered a stab wound’ in Henry’s chest.

The two officers who were first to arrive at the scene are now being investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) for potential gross misconduct. 

Digwa last week denied a string of charges relating to the possession of an arsenal of 55 offensive weapons.

Vickrum appeared remotely from Frankland Prison in County Durham today at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, alongside his brother, 27-year-old Gurpreet Digwa, and his father, 52-year-old Moga Singh, who have also been charged with owning illegal weapons at their home in Southampton. 

Their trial will be held on September 27 next year. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales will take their two eldest children to watch the Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday afternoon.

The Princess, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) will be joined by the Prince, as well as Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, to watch Jannik Sinner compete against Alexander Zverev.

The Wales family, who also attended Wimbledon last year without Prince Louis, eight, will arrive on the players’ lawn before heading to Centre Court’s Royal Box for the duration of the final.

They will be joined in the box by Deborah Jevans, the chairman of the AELTC, and a gathering of screen stars including Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Nicole Kidman, Rami Malek and Sienna Miller.

Last year, Prince George admitted he was “all right” at tennis ahead of the final match in a discussion with doubles champion Julian Cash.

In a discussion about the eldest Wales child playing tennis, Cash asked if he was any good, to which the young Prince appeared to shrug and reply: “I’m all right.”

The 12-year-old is known to be a keen tennis enthusiast, like his sister and mother.

Their appearance on Sunday marks the Princess of Wales’s third time at Wimbledon during this year’s championships. She also attended the women’s final on Saturday, where she presented the Venus Rosewater Dish to Linda Noskova.

During the first week of the competition, the Princess also surprised tennis fans by meeting people in Wimbledon’s famous queue and later handing out tickets to attendees. She also watched British wild card Arthur Fery on Court 18 for 30 minutes alongside former pro Tim Henman.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staple of Washington for more than three decades who went from being a vocal critic of Donald Trump to his most enthusiastic backer in the Senate, died Saturday evening at the age of 71.

Perhaps more than anyone, the lawmaker from South Carolina epitomized the Republican Party’s shift from opposing Trump to accepting his reshaping of the GOP.

And it paid off. A longtime military hawk, Graham became Trump’s biggest supporter of the war in Iran. A former bipartisan dealmaker who continued to enjoy friendships with Democrats ranging from former President Joe Biden to liberals like Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, he morphed into a hardcore partisan warrior.

Graham was often a man who played second fiddle to more influential Republicans such as former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott or his mentor, the late Senator John McCain. But he would come to obtain power on his own, ending his tenure as Senate Budget Committee Chairman and an intermediary between Republicans on Capitol Hill and the White House.

Graham’s passing signifies one of the last vestiges of Senate congeniality and genteel behavior while at the same time, shows how many senior Republican figures willingly bequeathed power to Trump.

Humble beginnings shaped by tragedy

Lindsey Olin Graham was born on July 9, 1955, to parents who ran a pool hall, liquor store and restaurant. Graham’s father, Florence James Graham, died when he was 21, and his mother, Millie, died shortly thereafter. He became the guardian to his sister Darline, and used Social Security survivor benefits to put her through school.

“There’s a time in my life when that Social Security check really, really mattered,” Graham said in a Senate hearing earlier this year.

Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina for both his undergraduate and law degrees; he served in the US Air Force as an active-duty lawyer before joining the Air Force Reserves.

He was elected to the state legislature in 1992 before winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, during the 1994 “Republican revolution,” when the party took control of the lower chamber for the first time in more than 40 years.

In the House, Graham would serve as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial against then President Bill Clinton.

“Human failings exist in all of us,” he said in 1999. “Only when it gets to be so premeditated, so calculated, so much my interest over anybody else, or the public be damned. Should you really, really start getting serious about what to do.”

Crossing the aisle

Despite this, when Graham came to the Senate in 2003, he worked occasionally with the former president’s wife, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, helping National Guard members and reserve personnel purchase TRICARE, the military health insurance program. It would be part of a series of policies that Graham would work on with Democrats.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he often traveled with the committee’s chairman Joe Biden, who would go on to become vice president to Barack Obama and president in his own right. In a 2015 interview with HuffPost, Graham would say that Biden “is as good a man as God ever created.”

Often with the assistance of McCain, his mentor and a Navy veteran who was revered in the Senate, Graham would lead bipartisan congressional delegations across the globe. He also would vote to confirm two of Barack Obama’s nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court: Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, though he would join other Senate Republicans in blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016, paving the way for Trump to nominate Justice Neil Gorsuch.

In 2013, Graham along with other Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio, worked with a group of Democrats to pass legislation that would beef up border security provisions in exchange for providing a path to citizen for undocumented immigrants. That “Gang of Eight” legislation would pass the Senate, but would be stalled in the House as the Republican majority refused to put it to a floor vote.

From Trump’s biggest opponent to champion in the Senate

In 2015, Graham would stage a quixotic run for president around the same time that Donald Trump, then a businessman and reality television star, would seek the Republican nomination. Graham never gained much traction, but earned Trump’s ire when he called him “a jackass,” which led to Trump publicizing his personal phone number. When Trump called for a shutdown on Muslims entering the U.S., Graham called Trump a “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”

After Trump won the presidency, Graham adopted a more hardline stance. Often plagued by accusations of being a “Republican in Name Only,” or RINO, and facing primary challenges, his support from Trump offered a cache he otherwise did not have.

But Graham would ultimately be embraced by many on the MAGA right for his full-throated defense of Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings in 2018. At the time, Kavanaugh faced allegations of sexual assault and Graham railed against Democrats, accusing them of weaponizing the accusations.

“What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020,” Graham said in the hearing, which came in the weeks ahead of the midterm elections. “This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.”

In 2020, Graham became chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he facilitated the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. But a few months later, after the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, Graham would distance himself from Trump.

“Trump and I, we had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. I hate it being this way,” he said. “All I can say is, count me out. Enough is enough.”

Graham would change his tune in 2023, though, becoming one of the first Republicans to endorse Trump’s reelection campaign. Graham’s traction with the White House once again increased.

A robust military hawk

Graham’s pull with the White House manifested itself most prominently as he became Trump’s biggest cheerleader for the Iran war.

A longtime military hawk, Graham had vocally supported both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and compared Trump’s efforts in Iran to British wartime leader Winston Churchill. This earned him contempt on the right, particularly in the more “America First” isolationist wing of the Republican Party.

Like his late friend John McCain, Graham remained a steadfast supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But Graham was also a steadfast supporter of Ukraine despite Trump’s skepticism of that conflict with Russia. Last week, Graham visited Ukraine as he sought to promote a bipartisan sanctions bill against the Kremlin.

It is not entirely clear how Graham will be replaced. South Carolina held its primary last month, where Graham easily won the Republican nomination ahead of November’s midterms. South Carolina law says that filing for candidates to replace Graham opens a week from Tuesday and a substitution primary will take place.

Jannik Sinner has beaten Alexander Zverev in four sets for his second consecutive Wimbledon title and fifth Grand Slam trophy. The top-ranked Italian lost the first set of the men’s final but recovered to win 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday at the All England Club.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Planners granted permission for a homeowner to lower her property’s boundary wall on St Mellons Road, despite objections from neighbours who described it as a historic heritage feature

A homeowner has been granted permission to lower a boundary wall despite local residents arguing it holds “architecturally significant” value, Newport councillors have ruled.

The city council’s planning committee heard how Stefania Farmer wants to lower the height of the side wall at her property in Marshfield in order to improve sightlines from a newly installed driveway.

She is also seeking retrospective permission for the driveway at 21 St Mellons Road, the committee was told at a meeting on Wednesday, July 1. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter.

Local resident Cath Davis argued that reducing the wall’s height risked causing “permanent harm” to a “historic feature” that has stood for 150 years.

She described the wall as an “architecturally significant heritage feature that contributes greatly to the character and identity of this part of St Mellons Road”.

The committee was warned that lowering the wall may prove problematic, and that “once lost it is lost forever”.

Five neighbouring residents raised objections during a recent public consultation, while one of the ward’s elected representatives, Cllr Allan Screen, voiced concerns that the proposals risked “altering the fundamental character and nature of the surrounding area”.

He said creating a new access point to the property raised road safety concerns, adding that the council “needs to take a stronger stance” following a previous refusal of planning permission for a driveway on the site.

Case officer Adam Foote said that planners were “satisfied the reutilisation of a previous access is acceptable in principle”, and that lowering the wall “will in turn improve visibility” to and from the driveway.

“From our perspective, we have no tangible reason to refuse this application,” he told the committee.

Mr Foote also acknowledged that certain objections had raised questions over ownership of the wall, but confirmed the council had seen “no evidence to the contrary” that it belonged to the applicant.

The committee was told that the wall could be modified or demolished entirely without the need for planning permission — which was solely required for the proposed new driveway.

Cllr Mark Howells told fellow committee members “there would be nothing we could do to stop (the applicant) knocking that wall down”.

“While I have some sympathy, I think our hands are tied,” he added.

A majority of committee members voted to approve the planning application, subject to conditions.

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There are only so many times you can fire a ball at a wall before feeling the urge to bash your head against one. Against such truisms, Alexander Zverev succumbed to the familiar pain of an afternoon with Jannik Sinner, the champion of Wimbledon once again.

Across the course of three hours, 46 minutes and four sets, Zverev threw it all at the world No 1. He served missiles, he attacked with forehands that defied reason, and he even led for a while.

But walls are tough. Walls stand firm. Walls keep sending balls back. And so, with a splattering of genius and to a sense of the inevitable, Sinner flipped this final and won his fifth Slam title 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4.

He spared precious few frills or emotions along the way and even fewer break points – just one in fact. And, for the record, he saved it.

There were shades of Novak Djokovic in how he soaked up Zverev’s pressure in the first two sets and likewise in how he then turned the screw, slowly and in torturous little increments.

Was it spectacular? Not always, but bricks were never meant to be sexy. They are good for building, though, and by the age of 24 Sinner has already built something quite spectacular with his career.

The top seed and world No1 beat Alexander Zverev 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court

‘It feels amazing,’ Sinner said after being reunited with the trophy he first won last year. ‘I want to start with Sascha (Zverev). Today you were so, so close I’m sure if you play like this you’ll have one of these (trophies at home as well).

‘I know another goal of yours is to become No 1 in the world, you are very close so we have to be very careful now!’

As he spoke, Centre Court responded in that way it does on these occasions – they clapped in the right places and fawned in others.

But is that the same love? Will success ever open that door for Sinner? Because he doesn’t play like Roger Federer. And he doesn’t emote like Rafa Nadal or Djokovic. Nor does he have the sheer pizzaz or creative impulses of Carlos Alcaraz, his great, absent contemporary.

No, Sinner doesn’t do those things – he kills you with his astonishing footspeed, with his sleights of hands that pivot defence to attack, with his quadruple-digit tennis IQ, and with his refusal to panic in high-stress moments, which is why he was able to dominate the second-set tiebreak in the face of going 2-0 down. Rise of the robots? With Sinner, it can feel that way.

But we also know there are other reasons for why Sinner is an awkward champion and they go to his brief ban last year for a failed drugs test.

We don’t need to relitigate that case in full here, but there would not have been a surprise if his suspension for doping – accepted quickly by the authorities as an accident – had stretched closer to the usual two years. That would have wiped out his 2025 title and this one, by the way, so fans can follow their own minds on what should be celebrated.

The same could also be applied to Zverev, of course. He has always denied the allegations of domestic abuse from two previous girlfriends, one of whom is the mother of his daughter, so there were no shortage of clouds on this summer’s day.

Zverev (right) thanked the crowd for their support as he joked he no longer likes his opponent

But Centre Court is rarely a place where tough questions get asked by the punters – they clapped both men on to the lawn, with Prince William, Princess Catherine and their children among the clappers of the Royal Box.

What followed was fascinating, mainly for the way in which Zverev attempted to shift the immovable object. His history with Sinner is startling for its one-sidedness, which had seen the Italian win each of their past nine matches in straight sets, and the German’s attempt at a solution was remarkably ballsy.

Perhaps that was the confidence borne from his breakthrough win at the French Open – or maybe it was the last remaining option of failing with all other approaches.

But he went for everything, especially on his forehand. He lashed at it, devil-may-care, and he was never going to die wondering. The scoreboard told us about a first set that stayed rigidly on serve, with only a single break point to Sinner and none for Zverev, but the latter’s courage in taking those risks should not be understated.

He was lower on winners than Sinner and higher on unforced errors – 15 compared Sinner’s five across those first 12 games – but he wouldn’t relent. He wouldn’t back down, and we haven’t always been able to say that about him in this of all duels. Often, his deference has been his enemy, but not this time, and not with 74 per cent of those 130mph-plus serves hitting their mark, and his reward came in the tiebreak.

Having survived setpoint at 6-7 with a 134mph ace, Zverev edged ahead and then fired a howling forehand winner for 9-7, claiming his first set in 15 attempts against Sinner.

With it, Zverev roared at his box and it was justified – his serving had been immense, so too the bravery of his approach.

But could it last? Would the wheels fall off?

The Princess of Wales was on hand to present the trophy aftrer watching the final from the Royal Box

Initially, the second set kept to an identical pattern of no breaks, no break points and, frankly, no abundance of fun. When Prince William and his boy George disappeared for a time, the easy assumption was that a shootout between servers had grown royally tiresome.

But the second tiebreak parted quickly from the pattern of the first, with Zverev ballooning a forehand long on the opening point and from there he unravelled quickly – 7-2. Into the third and suddenly there was a modicum more drama, with Zverev earning and failing to take his first break point at 3-3, before a mishit forehand gifted Sinner the next game against serve.

Closing the set 6-3, he appeared to have withstood the storm, and a forehand winner to break for 4-3 in the fourth ensured he had a hand on the trophy. Another on Championship point added the second hand and a second Wimbledon title.