Despite his fitness concerns and an underwhelming French Open run, there is no denying that Jannik Sinner will still be the favorite to defend the Wimbledon title. The Italian will enter the SW19 as the World No. 1, and there are high expectations with rival Carlos Alcaraz missing the tournament due to injury. While grass has yielded his lowest win percentage, Sinner’s Wimbledon record remains impeccable. Amid the noise surrounding his return at the All England Tennis Club, the defending champion remains honest with his expectations, made more interesting by a break in tradition.

“I haven’t played any matches on grass, so the first match—or the first few matches—are going to be difficult. But if I’m able to get through them, I know the confidence on grass can come back and the good feelings as well. At the moment, we’re just trying to get a good rhythm on grass, and then we’ll see how the tournament goes,” he said in an interview with Vogue.

Following his labored second-round exit against Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open, questions were raised regarding his fitness. He arrived on a 30-match winning streak and was the overwhelming favorite to become the second man to win every significant annual trophy, after Novak Djokovic. Yet by the third set, he was a spent force, with his legs wobbling, followed by a request to vomit off-court. After the defeat, the Italian refused to blame the heat and sought refuge away from the court — adding a gap in his schedule.

Over the past two years, Sinner had prefaced his Wimbledon arrival with the Halle Open. The grass court served as a warm-up to the best-of-five sets event, and not without success. Sinner won the tournament in 2024 and reached the semi-finals last year before his triumph at the SW19. This year, however, a three-week break after Roland Garros meant he skipped all grass-court events before Wimbledon. Yet Sinner has refused to arrive with a cautious and meek game plan.

“I approach it in the same way,” he added. “I always say we don’t defend, we always try to go for it, and hopefully we can do that. I know it’s a long tournament. How I start is going to be very important.”

Having not played on grass this season, Sinner may have difficulty adapting to the surface’s demands. His playstyle doesn’t quite suit grass as he isn’t a serve-and-volleyer. On top of this, Sinner will have to adapt to the speed of the grass courts, which is significantly higher than that of clay. But as things stand, a statement performance is the need of the hour.

The 24-year-old’s main goal now will be to have another solid run at SW19, as an early exit would cost him a massive number of points. Sinner will be dropping 2,000 points when he enters the tournament. While he currently has a huge 3,990-point lead over Alcaraz in second place, he will look to increase that gap at Wimbledon.

Despite having no match practice, Sinner is optimistic about his chances in the tournament due to his revised training, but will that be enough?

Can Jannik Sinner repeat Wimbledon triumph?

Skipping grass court competitions ahead of Wimbledon may raise some doubts, but the Italian clearly had health issues to address.

“I feel good. We’ve worked a lot in recent weeks, so physically I’m in very good shape. I’ve played a lot these past months, so a good training period was really necessary for my body to regain strength, and I’ve recovered well,” he further said.

His methods have been extensive, with Frenchman Arthur Fils serving as his training partner at the All England Club. Fils has been on the sidelines since the Italian Open last month and is expected to make his return to the SW19. The two were recently spotted having a joint session, with Sinner also monitoring his progress — literally.

The Italian has been seen working with a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) sensor on his left arm. The device measures glucose levels and reveals spikes and drops throughout the day, adding another layer to his recovery. But there’s more to his return than training shifts, as Sinner can rely on past precedence.

The four-time Grand Slam winner currently has a phenomenal record of 20-4 at the Wimbledon Championships. Despite grass not being his preferred surface, he has delivered some sensational performances at the SW19 in the last few years. And he isn’t the only top player to turn away from grass court warmups.

Seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic will arrive at the All England Tennis Club without any ATP grass-court tournament behind him. This isn’t new, with the mercurial Serb having only played at 2017 Eastbourne and 2018 Queens since 2011. He has historically prioritized recuperation before taking to the grass, believing in his ability to adapt across the first few rounds. Sinner might look to replicate that plan, with more than a title at stake.

A victory will add Sinner to another pantheon of greats. Only nine men have successfully defended their Wimbledon title, including his current peers, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. With the Spaniard out and the Serb in the twilight of his career, the Italian might not get a better shot.