First Grand Slam as world number one. That is the challenge that awaits Jannik Sinner in this Wimbledon which opened its doors to the world number one since the end of Roland Garros.
On the third Major of the year, the Italian could achieve something that no player of the Big Three… and neither Carlos Alcaraz, his great generational rival and with whom he could write a new golden page of this sport in London. Why? Neither Roger Federer (who premiered his record at Wimbledon 2023 and did not win a Grand Slam again until the following year, in Australia 2004), nor Rafael Nadal (which debuted in Paris in 2005, but would not conquer a different Grand Slam until precisely winning Wimbledon in 2008) nor Novak Djokovic (who opened his title in Australia 2008 but would take three more years to win again) were able to continue their first Grand Slam in the same year.
The draw was treacherous for the Italian and, despite the first round being against Yannick Hanfmann, the second could pit him against Matteo Berrettini, finalist in Stuttgart this year and at Wimbledon in 2021, or Marton Fucsovics. He could also run into Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, who had him on the ropes a week ago in Halle.
In the round of 16, the South American with a powerful serve Nicolás Jarry or Ben Shelton awaits him, and in the quarterfinals a certain Daniil Medvedev.
Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals (seeking revenge for Roland Garros) and Novak Djokovic on July 14 would be the perfect combination. Raising his cup, they will pray in San Candido, a municipality in the autonomous province of Bolzano, in the Trentino region, with just over 3,000 inhabitants, where his Italian roots lie.
