Jannik Sinner Reveals What Makes Wimbledon Different from Other Grand Slams Ahead of Starting Title Defense

The qualifying rounds of Wimbledon is underway, and the main draw is set to start on June 29. Jannik Sinner is the defending champion, and he will also be chasing his sixth title of the season as he clinched the Masters 1000s in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.

But at the French Open, he suffered an early exit, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. Last year in the grass-court Major, the four-time Grand Slam champion took his French Open final defeat revenge on his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, defeating him in the final in four sets, also winning his second title on the surface following the 2024 Halle Open.

Sinner, who has already arrived at Wimbledon, recently sat for an interview with Vogue during which he was asked to describe what makes Wimbledon different from other Grand Slam tournaments.

Yeah, you really feel the history and prestige of playing here. Everything around the tournament feels different compared to other events, and it’s the only big event we have on this surface. So it’s very nice to be back here and share this moment with my team. My family is not here yet—maybe they’ll come if I go far in the tournament, but we’ll see.

Sinner was also asked how his family decides whether they’re going to come, or whether he has any superstitions about them seeing him there too early. The 24-year-old said he doesn’t have any superstitions before explaining the Sinner family dynamic.

I think they just leave me alone with what I need to do. I have my job, and they have their jobs, you know. I know what’s best for me and what I need to do. They know tennis, of course, but not as much as I do because they’ve never played [laughs]. This is also just how we are as a family. We like to support each other, but we also give each other space. And when we’re at home, we never mention tennis—we always talk about different things.

Jannik Sinner added

Before Wimbledon, Sinner chose not to compete in any warm-up tournaments and withdrew from the Halle Open, where he won his career’s first title on grass in 2024 by defeating Hubert Hurkacz.

Jannik Sinner gives update about his health

During the second-round match at the French Open, Jannik Sinner suffered from full-body cramps and ended up losing the match in five sets to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a dramatic fashion. He easily clinched the first two sets and needed just one game to reach the third round. During his interview with Vogue, Sinner was asked how he felt physically going into Wimbledon.

I feel good. We did a lot of work these past few weeks, so physically I’m in a very good place. I’ve played a lot over the last few months, so a good training block was very much needed for my body to get stronger again, and I’ve recovered well. 

Carlos Alcaraz, who played the final in the previous three seasons, will not be competing at SW19 because of a wrist injury he suffered during the Barcelona Open, which also forced him to withdraw from the French Open. Novak Djokovic, who lost to the 23-year-old in the Wimbledon finals in 2023 and 2024, will be chasing his eighth title in the grass-court Major.

Alexander Zverev, because of his French Open success, will also be one of the favorites to win Wimbledon, even though he has never advanced to the quarterfinals. Sashca, in fact, has never won a title on grass. He defeated Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final.

Also read: Jack Draper Reflects on His Worrying Decline Following A String of Injuries in the Last Twelve Months