Jannik Sinner is cracking up; his post-victory quip sends Wimbledon into a frenzy

“The most important thing right now is to rest,” he says, bursting into laughter. Jannik Sinner knows full well that, at a Grand Slam, over the course of two intense weeks, rest is essential. The match against Mochizuki ended just past 10:00 p.m. in London. He hadn’t expected to play that late, and he was lucky the match didn’t go beyond three sets. The world No. 1 was facing the Japanese player—ranked No. 151 and the big surprise of this Wimbledon—for the first time.

After the match, he had nothing but praise for his opponent: “He’s an incredible player. Coming up through qualifying and playing at such a high level for so long. It’s incredible; I wish him nothing but the best. He should be proud of himself and, of course, of his entire team.”

Sinner then also thanked the crowd at Center Court: “Thank you to the crowd for staying so long! I tried to be aggressive; in the second set, I didn’t capitalize on all the opportunities I had. Struff in the quarterfinals? He’s an aggressive player, but now it’s important to rest. I’ve faced him a couple of times before, and the last time was right here on grass, in Halle.”