Eugenie Bouchard warns Jannik Sinner: “His rivals have taken notice…”

Jannik Sinner’s tough debut at Wimbledon surprised many insiders: the world No. 1 only managed to pull out a victory in the fifth set against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, who gave the Italian a hard time during several stretches of the match. Sinner, who will face Portugal’s Borges in the second round, was playing his first official match after a month-long break, and more importantly, it was his first real match on grass in 2026.

According to former Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard, interviewed by the BBC, Sinner will need to be careful from now on: “I think the other players noticed some cracks at Roland Garros, and I believe they now have more confidence. They’re thinking, ‘Hey, if I stay on his heels, I might have a chance later in the match.’”

“He’s not that perfect, almost godlike player we’ve seen so often over the past two years. So I think Sinner’s lack of confidence, combined with the increased confidence of the opponents he faces, is having a mental impact on these matches.”

“And when this happens in a first-round match at a Grand Slam, it’s hard to overcome, considering what just happened at Roland Garros.” Former tennis player Tim Henman, who was in the studio, echoed this sentiment: “Now whoever faces him thinks, ‘Wow, maybe I can pull off one of the greatest upsets of all time.’”

Despite the difficulties, Sinner found the right words to describe his performance: “I was very nervous when I stepped back onto a court as prestigious as this one. Returning here as the defending champion is incredibly important; I’m happy to have won. There will be things to improve on, but I’m satisfied.” On the technical side, the South Tyrolean offered a clear-headed analysis: “What do I need to do? Avoid the mistakes I made in the first two sets, even though it’s normal to make them: the first matches are never easy. I tried to raise my level when it was needed. And anyway, Miomir played really well.”