Sinner alleviates concern after his slip at Wimbledon: "Grass is like that"

Pedro de Pablos | 29 Jun 2026 | 19.22

Sinner reduces concern after his slip at Wimbledon: "Grass is like that"

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Jannik Sinner has had to suffer a lot to solve his debut at Wimbledon 2026 against Miomir Kecmanovic, which took him to the fifth set and almost gave him a scare. Additionally, in the midst of the match, he suffered a slip that scared everyone, but in the press conference, the world number 1 played down the incident.

It should not be forgotten that his last appearance was at Roland Garros 2026, where he lost in the second round to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo due to some physical problems when he had the match in his favor. Nevertheless, today he has shown that he is capable of pushing his body to the limit and winning in five sets. In fact, Sinner has stated that these kinds of slips are normal on grass, and the key is not to be afraid after what happened because then he will play worse.

Sinner reveals his feelings after losing the third set

I had my chances in the third set, and I couldn’t capitalize on them. He played a couple of good points in the tiebreak, and you have to accept it. I tried to recover as quickly as possible. Trying to hold serve in the first few games is very, very important because if you get broken early, it’s difficult to come back. I think that's it. It wasn't the ideal situation, but I tried to keep myself mentally focused, also trying to enjoy the moment because it has been an incredible day for me and for my team. Coming here, playing the opening match on Centre Court, is a great privilege.

Slips during the match

A fall is tough because you can get injured, but it is the most normal thing to happen. That's how grass is. Especially in the early matches when the grass is new, you slip a bit more. Yes, I was lucky because things can go wrong very, very quickly. I try to keep trusting in my movements. Additionally, in the third, fourth, and fifth sets, it was very important to keep moving naturally, and I did.

Using skiing for sliding on grass

I don't think so. I don't think because there are movements that you really can't control. It's just instinct. Skiing may help you at certain times, but not when you fall, when you have no control at all. We did a lot of prevention before this tournament because we knew that things like this could potentially happen. Today it happened. So, the most important thing is to eliminate this part and keep moving as before because if not, when you are too scared, everything goes too slow. On this surface, you can't do that.

Level shown by Kecmanovic

He is a very, very good player on all surfaces, but especially on grass because his shot is very flat, so he moves very well across the court. The serve +1 he hit today was very, very powerful. Although sometimes I returned well, he always played the first ball very well, and I had some difficulties, so it is something we need to improve. Now we have a day, tomorrow, which I hope will give us a little time and the right rhythm to come back the next day. Playing on Centre Court in the first match is a bit different because the ball is a bit slower than in the practice courts. I had some difficulties with my forehand at the beginning. I knew that before the match. I need a couple of matches. I hope to have the opportunity to play a couple of matches, and then we'll see how I perform.

Sinner’s opinion on Draper’s retirement and calendar criticisms

It's a difficult situation. Regarding Jack, I spoke with him before the tournament. I trained with him before he went to Eastbourne, and it seemed to me that he was hitting the ball very accurately and at a good speed. I always say personally that when he is at his best, he is one of the best players in the world. He has already shown that many times. When you have to deal with injuries like this, and I found out five minutes before the press conference, it's tough because he's one of my friends. You don't wish anyone the bad luck he has had throughout his career so far. I hope he finds a solution. Perhaps it's just a matter of prevention. I don't know; I haven't talked to him yet. It's tough for the UK. Raducanu out, Jack out... it's tough. Speaking of the other players, you can still make decisions about where you want to play and where not, before and after the tournaments. Yes, so I always try to prioritize, trying to understand what I need at that moment. That's it. But yes, it's tough for Jack.

Nerves before the match

It's hard to describe. At the same time, I always enjoyed this moment because the emotions I felt last year, it was the first time I felt this way, very happy. Coming back here, inaugurating and playing on Centre Court, this year was a year when nobody had practiced before, so it was completely new. You know it mentally. It's been an incredible day for me, feeling like this at least once in my life. Yes, I think I handled the situation quite well. It was a moment of great tension, but I am very happy to have found a way today.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sinner rebaja la preocupación tras su resbalón en Wimbledon: "La hierba es así"

Jannik Sinner