World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is taking extreme measures to prepare for Wimbledon, focusing on mitigating the effects of heat after a significant physical struggle at the French Open. Arriving in London ten days before the tournament, Sinner has described his preparation as a "warm-weather camp" aimed at addressing his documented issues with high temperatures.
His most recent competitive outing saw Sinner experience a dramatic collapse at the French Open. Holding a two-set lead and a 5-1 advantage in the third, he lost 18 of the next 20 games to be eliminated. This incident, following similar cramps at the Australian Open in January and a retirement in Shanghai last autumn, prompted Sinner and his team to investigate the cause.
Following his French Open exit, Sinner took a week off to mentally reset and then underwent comprehensive cardiovascular, metabolic, and exhaustion-related tests in Turin and Milan. "We did some testing, we tried to understand what happened, we came to a conclusion which is very good," Sinner stated. "So we worked very much, we changed the work a little bit as well, trying to see how my body reacts in different conditions."
During warm-ups in London, Sinner has been seen using an ice vest, a cooling garment adopted by some football teams. He expressed confidence that the likelihood of a repeat of his recent heat-related problems is "as low as possible," and described his current preparation as "one of the best" he has had before a Grand Slam.
Sinner enters Wimbledon as the favorite to defend his title, particularly with the absence of two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz due to injury and the veteran status of Novak Djokovic. However, the persistent heat in London presents a significant challenge. "The weather is Jannik Sinner's biggest rival to defend his Wimbledon crown."
Sinner's journey to the top has been unconventional. Born in the Dolomite mountains, his first sporting passion was skiing. He transitioned to tennis in his early teens, moving to an academy eight hours away from his hometown. His father, Hanspeter, was a chef, and his mother, Siglinde, a waitress. Sinner has credited his parents for allowing him to choose his own path.
He chose tennis over skiing because the sport allowed for learning from mistakes. Instead of competing in junior Grand Slams, he opted for the ITF Futures circuit against more experienced players. He faced early difficulties but began to improve, winning his first ATP Tour match in 2019. By the end of that year, he was ranked world No. 78.
His rise continued, with notable wins against Alexander Zverev and a challenging match against Rafael Nadal in the 2020 French Open. After splitting with his long-time coach Riccardo Piatti in 2022, he began working with Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi. This partnership saw significant improvements in his physical conditioning, mental strength, and game variety, leading to his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon in 2023 and his maiden major titles in Melbourne and New York in 2024.
In addition to on-court performance, Sinner's career has also been marked by a temporary ban. From February to May of the previous year, he was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for testing positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted his explanation that the substance entered his system via a massage. WADA appealed this decision, but an agreement was reached for a three-month ban, which he served without missing any Grand Slam tournaments. The timing of the ban drew criticism from some players and commentators, with Nick Kyrgios calling it a "sad day for tennis."
Despite his world No. 1 ranking and two Grand Slam titles in 2024, Sinner remains relatively unknown to the general public compared to some of his contemporaries. He is set to open the Wimbledon tournament on Centre Court as the defending champion against Miomir Kecmanovic. As he aims to defend his crown, the pressure of the competition, coupled with the potential for extreme weather, remains a key factor.