June 20, (THEWILL) – World number one Jannik Sinner has welcomed the prospect of additional preparation time after his unexpected second-round exit from the Halle Open, viewing the setback as an opportunity to recharge before Wimbledon.
The Italian told Sky Italia that the enforced break would benefit both his mental and physical condition ahead of the grass court major.
“Honestly a little break is going to do me good,” the 23-year-old said following his 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 defeat to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik on Thursday.
The defending Halle champion acknowledged that competing so soon after his French Open final loss had taken its toll.
“I came here after the Roland Garros defeat, it wasn’t easy,” Sinner admitted, referring to his five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz earlier this month.
Despite the disappointment of losing his only grass court title, the Italian maintained a pragmatic outlook about his tournament preparation, noting that playing two matches before Wimbledon was still valuable experience.
Sinner now faces a 10-day gap before the start of Wimbledon, where he will attempt to claim his first championship at the All England Club.
The Italian has reached the semi-finals once at SW19 two years ago but suffered a quarter-final exit last year.
His grass court record remains modest compared to his dominance on hard courts, making the additional practice time potentially crucial for his championship ambitions.
The recent period has proved challenging for Sinner, with high-profile defeats to Alcaraz in both the Rome Open final and at Roland Garros.
The French Open loss marked his first defeat in a Grand Slam final and came after his return from a three-month doping suspension following his Australian Open success.
These setbacks have tested the Italian’s resilience during what should have been a triumphant period in his career.
Looking ahead to Wimbledon, Sinner said: “Now I’ve got to boost myself both mentally and physically, that takes a little time, but for Wimbledon, everything will be fine,” he stated.
His primary objective at the tournament will be dethroning defending champion Alcaraz, setting up another potential showdown between the sport’s two brightest young stars on tennis’s most prestigious stage.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
