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07/15 11:47 CDT Drama-filled women's final at Wimbledon earns record viewership on ESPN Drama-filled women's final at Wimbledon earns record viewership on ESPN LONDON (AP) --- Helped by some mid-match drama, the Wimbledon final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova over the weekend was ESPN's most-watched women's championship match at the grass-court Grand Slam. The all-Czech final, during which Noskova wasted five match points and a 5-2 lead in the second set before eventually winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 on Saturday, averaged 1.9 million viewers. That was an increase of 48% compared to last year's women's final: Iga Swiatek's 6-0, 6-0 rout of Amanda Anisimova in 57 minutes. ESPN began its coverage of Wimbledon in 2003 and has had exclusive rights since 2012. Jannik Sinner's four-set victory over Alexander Zverev in the men's final on Sunday averaged 2.4 million viewers, down 16% from 2025, when Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Overall, it ranked as ESPN's second most-viewed Wimbledon, with an 18% year-over-year increase, averaging 853,000 viewers per day, the network said. This year's numbers trailed only the 2019 edition -- when Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in a memorable five-set final and Simona Halep beat Serena Williams for the women's trophy. Also this year, William's return to Grand Slam tennis after nearly four years away earned ESPN its biggest audience for a Day 2 at Wimbledon, with an average of 1.8 million viewers --- despite being played on a Tuesday afternoon in the U.S.

Italian TV In Italy, where Sinner has become the country's most popular athlete, the final in which he earned his fifth Grand Slam title was watched by an average of 4.2 million viewers and earned a 33.8% share, Sky Italia said. Sinner's victory over Alcaraz last year had an average viewership in Italy of 5.7 million. The finals started at 11 a.m. ET in the U.S. and 5 p.m. in Italy. ___ AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis