After being on top of the world heading into the French Open, Jannik Sinner’s season came crashing back down to earth. In one of the biggest tennis upsets of the decade, the World No. 1 suffered a second-round defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Bidding to complete the Career Grand Slam, the Italian cramped up after leading by two sets and a break, managing to win just two of the next 20 games as he crashed out in five sets.
Sinner’s Grass-Court Schedule Revealed
French Open Dream Ends in Stunning Fashion
It has been a quiet couple of weeks for the Italian since then. Apart from a few social media updates, Sinner largely stayed out of the spotlight until recently, when he was spotted in Milan undergoing a series of medical evaluations. The testing, described as having his body “turned inside out,” was reportedly aimed at identifying the reason behind the physical issues that have repeatedly affected him in long matches, as Sinner is yet to win a match in his career that lasts longer than four hours.
According to reports, the examinations revealed no underlying issues, with all results coming back clear. Nevertheless, Sinner and his team continue to search for answers after physical problems cost him what was arguably his best opportunity yet to complete the Career Grand Slam, especially given Carlos Alcaraz’s absence from the tournament.
As has often been the case throughout his career, Sinner appears ready to move on from the disappointment and focus on the positives from what was still a remarkable clay-court campaign. The Italian became just the second men’s player in history to win all three clay-court Masters 1000 events in a single season, joining Rafael Nadal in achieving the feat.
No Halle Return as Wimbledon Approach Changes
He now turns his attention to Wimbledon, where he is the defending champion. The grass-court major remains the only Slam title Sinner has won away from his preferred hard courts. This year, however, his preparation will look very different.
Historically, Sinner has played a warm-up event before Wimbledon, most notably the ATP 500 tournament in Halle, which he won in 2024. This season, though, he will head to Wimbledon without competing in an ATP-level grass-court event.
While Sinner suffered an early singles exit in Halle last year despite competing in both singles and doubles, his approach this season is notably different. He will begin his Wimbledon title defense without any official match play on a surface that arguably requires the greatest adjustment from the rest of the tennis calendar.
Sinner Confirms Hurlingham Exhibition Appearance
Instead, it has been announced that Sinner will participate in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club as part of his Wimbledon preparations. The exhibition event will serve as his only competitive grass-court outing before the year’s third Grand Slam. He joins British No. 1 Cameron Norrie and recent French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli among the players already confirmed for the event, with more high-profile names expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Although not part of the official ATP Tour, the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic has attracted some of the sport’s biggest stars over the years, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. This year, it will be headlined by the reigning World No. 1 as he gears up for his Wimbledon title defense.
Whether concerns about Sinner’s fitness remain or not, it is difficult not to consider him the leading favorite for the Wimbledon title, particularly given the continued absence of Carlos Alcaraz, who is still recovering from a wrist injury. With a title defense now in his sights, the Italian will hope that the physical problems that derailed his French Open campaign are finally behind him.
Main Image Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
