If one thought that Jannik Sinner’s performance against Miomir Kecmanovic was just a bad day for the Italian, then they were mistaken. Struggle followed him in the second round as well against Nuno Borges. Even though he won the match 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4, his level has been nowhere near where it was in the last edition, where taking even a set off him was a challenge for opponents. However, he seems to be aware of what the concern is.

“Especially the first match, I felt a lack of matches”, said Sinner during his on-court interview. “Also, today a couple of moments I need to get back to this rhythm. Overall, if we look at the scoreboard, it was very, very close. So, these matches, especially individual sets, help me a lot. So of course, we aim to improve.”

Sinner had multiple break points in the first game of the match, but the Italian could not capitalize, with Borges holding his serve till 6-6, with the set going into a tiebreak. This is where Sinner raised his game, winning the tiebreak 7-4. If one thought that losing the first set would make Borges drop his shoulders, they were mistaken, as the Portuguese player got an early break in the second set, having an opportunity to serve the set out at 5-4. However, the pressure got to him, as he missed some crucial shots, and despite having a set point, could not stop Sinner from breaking back.

Once the Italian got the break back in the second set, he played an expert tiebreak, winning six straight points, closing the second set out. The third set began with multiple breaks of serve from both players. Still, once Sinner got the decisive break, the Italian was able to hold on to his serve till the end, closing the match out in straight sets, which is impressive from the top seed, given that his opponent came ready for the fight.

However, this is the second match at SW19 this year, where Sinner was made to sweat as Miomir Kecmanovic pushed the defending champion right to the edge as the Italian needed five sets to dispatch the Serb. There was also an injury scare for the World No.1 in the first round as he had a nasty fall on court, and the on-court cameras also caught sight of blood on his shoes. However, given the Italian’s second-round performance, their fans can rest at ease on that front.

However, the Italian’s form has been iffy since his French Open exit, signs of which were seen during the latter parts of the Italian Open, where he struggled in his match against Daniil Medvedev. In addition to that, his lack of practice on grass courts, as he himself identified, plays a key role in the dip in his form.

It remains to be seen if the scratchy start will benefit the top seed as he prepares for a tricky American opponent in the third round.

Jannik Sinner Slated to Face American Opponent in the Third Round

Having navigated through the first couple of rounds, Jannik Sinner will face the challenge of Jenson Brooksby in the third round. The Italian has not looked the invincible player he looked when he swept through the five Masters 1000 titles this year. His shocking physical breakdown led him to adopt caution with his body, as he did not play any grass-court events, but rather prioritized getting his body in proper condition for the grass-court Major.

The grass season is only a limited window on the tennis calendar, and not many players are adaptable enough to get their feet running on grass at Wimbledon. Sinner himself has played warm-up events at Halle, where he won the title in 2024 as well. That is why it’s understandable that the Italian is taking a bit of time to get back to his dominant best.

Coming to his opponent, Brooksby’s form has been quite poor this season, with the American having an 8-16 win-loss record, including Challenger matches. His grass-court results in the lead-up to Wimbledon included one opening-round exit and two second-round losses. However, the American has given a good account of himself at Wimbledon, winning his matches against Aleksandar Vukic and 31st-seeded Ignacio Buse.

Brooksby has two grass-court finals in his career, but Sinner leads the American 1-0 and has a 39-3 win-loss record this year, with the American having a massive task on his hand if he is to make an upset.