Tim Henman believes that only one player is capable of preventing Jannik Sinner from retaining his Wimbledon title at the All England Club. Sinner overcame Carlos Alcaraz in an enthralling four-set contest last year to win the Wimbledon title for the first time in his career. However, the Italian arrived back at the All England Club this week with questions hanging over his title defence following his shock second-round exit in May’s French Open.
Sinner showed signs of rustiness in his first match against Miomir Kecmanovic, with the 24-year-old taken to five sets before grinding out the win. However, he has looked far improved in recent matches, recording straight-set victories over Nuno Borges and Jenson Brooksby to book his spot in the fourth round. Despite not looking his best so far in the opening week, Sinner admitted he still has work to do to get back to his best.
Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe believes Sinner is still the favourite to win again at SW19 this year. The defending champion will now face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki in the next round, with a potential blockbuster semi-final clash against seven-time champion Novak Djokovic still a distinct possibility. Djokovic came through a hard-fought contest against Arthur Rinderknech to reach the fourth round, and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman believes the Serbian is Sinner’s biggest threat.
Henman said that while Djokovic’s movement may not be as quick as it was a few years ago, his ball striking and confidence remain strong. He also noted that Djokovic is coming into the vast majority of his matches as the favourite, and the only match where he would be the underdog would be against Sinner, potentially in the semis. Djokovic will now face qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round after producing an impressive straight-set victory over Joao Fonseca.
Djokovic spoke about his win over Rinderknech, saying that he had done everything he needed to do to win the match. He also acknowledged that every day brings something new and unpredictable for him at this stage in his career, and he is hoping to come out at his best in the next round. With the tournament heating up, Djokovic and Sinner are expected to be among the top contenders for the title, and their potential semi-final clash is highly anticipated.
