Jannik Sinner will not play the same Wimbledon as last year. The world No. 1 knows it, and that is precisely why he has modified his preparation. "We did some changes. I don't say big, big changes. But I always believe in small details and small changes," the Italian said on Saturday from the All England Club.
Those adjustments trace back to the Roland-Garros trauma. In the second round against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, Sinner led 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 before his body collapsed. Severe cramps, dizziness, nausea: the Paris heat broke him down. A five-set defeat that left marks well beyond the draw. For a player accustomed to dominating through physical consistency, the episode was an alarm signal impossible to ignore.
The response has been methodical. "We have tweaked our physical training a bit. We did a much longer session, both in the gym and on the court, all at once and without breaks, to get as many different sensations as possible," Sinner explained. The aim is clear: simulate the stress of a five-set match without the artificial interruptions of a standard practice session. Train the body to function under sustained pressure.
The other distinctive feature of his preparation is the complete absence of competition. For the first time since 2021, Sinner has not played a single grass-court tournament before Wimbledon. No Halle, no Queen's, no Eastbourne. A bold choice for a defending champion, one that diverges from most of his rivals. Carlos Alcaraz, the 2024 champion, played Queen's. Novak Djokovic, chasing a 25th major title, competed in Mallorca. Sinner opted instead for a targeted three-week training block.
Yet Sinner projects unusual calm. "I feel well-prepared," he stated with characteristic brevity. His first round on Monday against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanović will provide a first calibration test.
Last year, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the final to become the first Italian to lift the Wimbledon trophy. A title built on steadily improving serve, a single-handed backhand converted into a lethal weapon on grass, and the ability to absorb pressure in the biggest moments. Those qualities did not vanish with the Paris defeat.
The question that will follow Sinner throughout the fortnight concerns physical endurance. Grass, with its shorter rallies, places different demands on the body compared to clay. An argument in his favour. But a five-set match under the heatwave forecast for London could replicate the conditions that betrayed him in Paris. At 24, his method, built on "small changes" and calibrated patience, carried him to the top of the world rankings. Wimbledon will tell whether it is enough to stay there.
