This Sinner is not the one from before Roland Garros

Pedro de Pablos | 2 Jul 2026 | 09.52

This Sinner is not the one from before Roland Garros. Source: Getty Images.

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Two Wimbledon matches have been enough for me to confidently state without fear of being wrong that this Jannik Sinner is not the same player as before Roland Garros. My opinion goes far beyond the results, or that Kecmanovic took him to five sets in his debut, as everything focuses on the game and the level of confidence he had before suffering the famous physical problems in Paris.

First of all, I would like to make one thing clear: Sinner remains the top favorite to win Wimbledon. In fact, it is most likely that he will raise his level as the rounds progress, as is logical being his first tournament on grass. One thing does not exclude the other. However, the player who has taken to play on Wimbledon's Centre Court these last days is much more vulnerable than the war machine that has so far won all the Masters 1000 of the season and has shattered all records.

Neither Borges nor Kecmanovic are players who should cause so much trouble for Jannik, but they have, and it all lies in the doubts of the Italian player. Those same doubts he had after losing at the Australian Open, leading to his loss against Jakub Mensik in Doha. At those times he was criticized, as if he were no longer the same, and Sinner responded by winning Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. Mentally, Sinner is rock-solid, but losing the opportunity to complete the Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros due to your body must be very tough.

Because yes, today, and especially without Carlos Alcaraz in the mix, the reality is that Sinner's biggest rival is himself. Or rather, his physique. The tests in Milan, the cooling vest in training, the possible heatwave next week at Wimbledon... Everything worries Jannik at this moment. Nowadays, players have realized that they can harm him on a good day, something that didn't happen a few months ago, and in reality, it's not a bad thing. I don't mean for him, I mean for tennis.

That Sinner is not as he was before is great news for tennis

In fact, it's great news for the sport that Sinner is more vulnerable. For example, Formula 1 has become boring to me since the best car dominates and races don't depend on the driver. I had the same feeling during part of this season, where the question was not who was going to win the tournament, but how many sets Sinner would lose on his way to lifting the title. People want to see surprises, changes in the script, and that's what they're getting.

I repeat, if you haven't read the second paragraph, that this is not a criticism of Sinner. In fact, what is happening to him is completely normal. No matter how much people insist on calling him a robot, he isn't. He is a flesh-and-blood man, with his lows and problems, who has not played since Roland Garros and hasn't had time to adapt to the grass, which opens up many more possibilities for Wimbledon. Now Djokovic's 25th Grand Slam seems closer than ever, or even another surprise as in Paris.

Enjoy it while you can, because as soon as the machine is oiled again, the story will likely end. For now, the Ferrari from San Candido has been to the mechanic and is in a trial period, but I have no doubt that once he finds his rhythm and confidence again, the records, the countless matches won without dropping a set, and everything that comes with that will return. However, in this Wimbledon, we are seeing the most human side of Sinner, with all that entails.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Este Sinner no es el de antes de Roland Garros

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