Sinner scare at Wimbledon to start

World number one, champion of the Australian Open and the tournaments in Rotterdam, Miami and, recently and on grass, Halle. In his balance of the season, 39 victories and three defeats, two against Carlos Alcaraz, against whom he seeks to repeat the duels of the ‘semi’s’ of Indian Wells and Roland Garros, with the aim of revenge.

The Wimbledon 2024 draw has invited Italian Jannik Sinner, 22 years old, to meet again in the penultimate round with the reigning champion. This is the obstacle that he did not overcome in the last edition, then against the Serbian Novak Djokovic.

But first, the two must resolve the five encounters, on the treacherous grass, as the Sinner himself saw just the beginning, and on a path that is theoretically more difficult for the transalpine.

In the second round he will have to face his compatriot Matteo Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, who has four professional crowns in grass tournaments. A potential top-10 pick, now number 59 due to continued punishing injuries.

Right hip pain has been a concern for Sinner and his team in recent weeks. He arrived at Roland Garros, with some discomfort, and was assured before facing Wimbledon that the problem had been resolved.

However, the Sinner suffered one of those classic slips on the grass, fell to the ground and put his hand on his hip. Second set, which he took forward. But doubts about the impact of the accident led him to deliver the third.

He got out of trouble with quality, beating German Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4, 3-6 and 6-4, in 2h.58′. On Court 1, outside center occupied by current champion Carlos Alcaraz. The final set was played indoors as it was getting dark in London and the artificial lighting was on.