Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon favourite status questioned as Novak Djokovic backed by Grand Slam champion
Jannik Sinner’s chances of defending his Wimbledon title have been placed in greater doubt by a former Grand Slam champion, with Novak Djokovic backed to have his ‘best chance’ of winning at SW19.
The Italian was the overwhelming favourite heading into this year’s French Open after winning titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
This put Sinner on a 29-match winning streak after he became the first man to win the season’s opening five Masters 1000 events.
However, despite leading 6-2, 6-2, 5-1 against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the Parisian event, the world No 1 succumbed to the hot conditions and lost 18 of the next 20 games in a famous upset.
Sinner has now reportedly visited multiple Italian hospitals in an attempt to identify the source of his frequent physical issues in warm conditions.
Despite the shock loss – in addition to his absence from any professional grass-court events beforehand – Mats Wilander believes Sinner is ‘certainly’ the favourite for Wimbledon.
“Certainly, especially since [Carlos] Alcaraz will still be missing,” he said during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“But at Roland Garros, I think he had a better chance; grass can always be tricky.”
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Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the SW19 final 12 months ago to lift his maiden Wimbledon title.
“Just a physical matter,” the Swede answered when questioned about the Italian’s physical issues in the French capital.
“He played a lot in the two months leading up to Roland-Garros, with little recovery and few opportunities to train intensely, so he found himself without energy.
“Now I saw that he rested, so we will see him in great shape when he returns.”
With Alcaraz having withdrawn from the event due to a lingering wrist issue, Djokovic is widely considered the second favourite for the Wimbledon title.
The Serb is a seven-time champion at the All England Club, including four consecutive titles in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
At the French Open, he looked in great form throughout his first three matches before being defeated by Joao Fonseca.
The teenager fought back from a two-set deficit to win 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in four hours and 53 minutes.
“In Paris, he lost to a great [Joao] Fonseca, but Wimbledon is the Slam where he has the best chance of winning and finally reaching the record of 25 Slams, which has almost become an obsession,” Wilander analysed.
“On grass, I think the gap with Sinner is narrowing a bit.
“And then it’s also a question of statistics: on clay, there are 10 or 20 opponents who can beat him; on the grass of London, it’s reduced to five.”
Indeed, Djokovic is currently tied with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam titles and needs just one more major title to stand alone.
Similarly to Sinner, the former world No 1 will not participate in any professional grass-court events before beginning his Wimbledon campaign.
