Jannik Sinner beats Novak Djokovic in the mini-match and laughs it off
A high-profile training session for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, who faced off on Court 1 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the start of the Wimbledon main draw. On a court with a roof and air conditioning, the world No. 1 and the 24-time Grand Slam champion trained side by side for about an hour, amid the audience’s reverent silence.
The atmosphere was relaxed between the two champions, who even exchanged a few words and smiles. The Italian defeated the Serbian star 6-3 in the set they played, giving the impression that he is in good form. After a splendid return on Nole’s serve—which landed right on the line—the South Tyrolean even let out a laugh, almost in disbelief at the point he had just scored.
Sinner, who will make his debut next Monday, June 29, after 2 p.m., took part Thursday in the trophy return ceremony, broadcast live by the Wimbledon organizers. “For me, it’s always been *The Tournament*—it’s so iconic and historic—and having my name among the winners means the world to me. When I was a kid, I never would have thought I’d reach this milestone. We’ll see how it goes this year, but whatever happens, it’s already history, and I’m very happy about all of this.”
Today’s session comes after a week of intense preparation, which culminated on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Cameron Norrie in an exhibition match at the Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club. The match was played in grueling weather conditions, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees, but it provided encouraging signs regarding the South Tyrolean’s form, following his second-round loss at Roland Garros to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, which was affected by physical discomfort.
To cope with the unusually hot weather currently affecting London, Sinner’s staff has implemented a series of targeted measures. In addition to wearing a cooling vest during breaks between sessions, Sinner often applies ice packs to his head. In recent weeks, he has also been training while wearing a glucose sensor on his arm—a device typically used by people with diabetes—to monitor his blood glucose levels and keep track of energy expenditure metrics. However, there is good news from the weather forecast: temperatures are expected to return to values closer to the seasonal average starting Monday, June 29.
