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Jannik Sinner is rolling into Wimbledon in great shape, looking to snag his first title on grass and hoping to be the first Italian man to win at the All England Club. The world No. 1 is heading into the tournament after a nail-biting, five-set match against Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, and there’s been a bit of a shake-up in his coaching team too. Just a few days ahead of Wimbledon, Sinner decided to part ways with his fitness coach, Marco Panichi, and physiotherapist, Ulises Badio.

“Nothing major happened. Nothing big happened. I parted ways not long ago but it’s not affecting me. I feel ready to compete. I feel free. I feel me and my team, we are ready to do the best we can,” said the Italian tennis star. He brushed off worries that the breakup might affect his preparation, saying he feels great and ready to give it his all on grass. As Sinner’s storyline unfolds ahead of Wimbledon, another Italian has quietly stepped into the limelight: Luca Nardi, who’s 21 years old, is set to face Sinner in the first round.

While the story kicks off with Sinner feeling ready and starting fresh, things really get interesting when we dive into this first-round matchup. These two players are part of the exciting new wave of Italian tennis, and their matchup has a bit more significance than your usual first-round game. According to ATP Tour statistics, Nardi hit a career-high of No. 67 back in March 2025, and by mid-June, he was sitting at No. 94. In 2024, he pulled off a huge surprise by defeating Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, making history as the lowest-ranked player to ever beat Djokovic in a Masters or Grand Slam event.

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Nardi hasn’t had much experience on grass at the Grand Slam level—he got knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon 2024—but he’s stepping into this year’s tournament feeling pretty confident. This will be the first time these two Italians face off on the ATP Tour, as they haven’t met in any previous matches.

Matchstat shows that Jannik Sinner is the clear favorite, with analysts giving him an impressive 93 percent chance to take the win. The vibe is going to be electric as Nardi tries to take down the top seed on Centre Court—it’s the classic underdog story that every Grand Slam hopes for right from the start. The difference between Sinner’s calm, elite vibe and Nardi’s eager, rising star energy really stands out.

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In recent years, two Italian men—Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti—have reached the semifinals of Grand Slam tournaments, and Nardi’s appearance is emblematic of this revival. For Nardi, taking down Sinner here would be a game changer—an instant headline against the current world No. 1. With Wimbledon kicking off on July 1, everyone will surely be focused on this exciting all-Italian matchup.

Sinner’s first-round match against Nardi isn’t just another game—it really captures Italy’s rise in men’s tennis and serves as a chance for Sinner to show how he handles change on such a big Grand Slam stage. This match is bound to deliver some serious drama, whether the top seed keeps going strong or a young challenger steps up. It’s the kind of excitement that makes Wimbledon truly unforgettable. But, taking down Sinner isn’t going to be a walk in the park, especially since the Italian tennis star has had quite a challenging schedule recently.

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Will Luca Nardi's underdog spirit topple Sinner's calm dominance at Wimbledon this year?

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Jannik Sinner went through all that before Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner has shared his thoughts on what happened after his tough loss at Roland Garros, talking about the emotional and practical changes he made as he prepared for Wimbledon. So, after a grueling five-hour and 29-minute final against Carlos Alcaraz, things didn’t quite go as planned—especially after being two sets up and missing out on three match points.

“I tried to (mentally) delete everything, every set,” the Italian tennis star reflected afterwards. “In Grand Slams you try to start from zero again. I was of course disappointed about the fourth set and match points and serving for the match. But again, I stayed there mentally. I didn’t give him any free points.” Instead of jumping right back into things, he took a step back and headed to his home in South Tyrol. There, he spent quality time with family and close friends, relishing the simple joys of barbecues and ping-pong. He talked about how important it was to take some time to recover from the French Open, highlighting how crucial his support network was in helping him mentally work through that epic final.

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Sinner decided to switch gears and focus on grass-court competition, so he made a thoughtful move by signing up for the Halle Open as a warm-up for Wimbledon. He mentioned that Halle had this comforting vibe—close to home, an easygoing schedule, and a friendly feel—totally different from the busier scene at Queen’s Club. Even though he left early, he saw it as a hidden blessing, giving him some extra time to polish his grass-court skills. After all, he had his eyes set on Wimbledon.

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Will Luca Nardi's underdog spirit topple Sinner's calm dominance at Wimbledon this year?

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