Wimbledon: Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka toss up to fight again

LONDON: Wimbledon’s top seeds — Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka — amped up their preparations at the Aorangi Park practice courts on Saturday, looking for results that slipped out of their grasp three weeks ago in the world’s fashion capital.

Much water has flowed under the Thames since.

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Some 120 hours after the heartbreaking loss, Sinner arrived in Halle for the ATP 500 Series tournament. He played three matches, acclimatizing to the grass, one doubles, with compatriot Lorenzo Sonego, and two singles. As many reverses in a four-week window for the 23-year-old as in the nine months that preceded it (mid-Aug 2024 to June 2025), but that’s not the point, Sinner was back finding his feet on a surface that takes time adjusting too and that was statement enough.

The world No.1 came up short on three successive match points in the fourth set against Carlos Alcaraz in the five-hour 29-minute Roland Garros final, two of them on second serves, one that dropped in the middle of the box at 144 kmph. In the women’s final, Sabalenka was outsmarted by the No. 2 Coco Gauff in difficult conditions that dictated the pace of play. The world No. 1 went down in a tidal wave of unforced errors, 70 in all.

In her post-match conference, about an hour after the loss, the Belarusian couldn’t come up with an appreciative line for her opponent.

The following day, Sabalenka posted an explanation on social media in which she gave Gauff credit for the win. A week later, after coming to terms with the loss, the world No. 1 wrote to the 21-year-old American and apologised for her comments. After hitting with Gauff on Centre Court on Friday, the duo made a TikTok video, a few dance moves, which in modern parlance translates to all is well. “I didn’t really want to offend Coco, I was upset with myself, and (my) emotions got the better of me. Of course, she got my respect, she knows it,” the 27-year-old said.

“We are good, we are friends. I hope the US media can be easy on me now.” Sabalenka, whose hurricane of a game, serve and groundstrokes, can stump opponents with pace and power, will go up against the Canadian model Carson Branstine, a qualifier who models to fund her tennis career, in the first round on Monday. In the days before Halle, Sinner and celebrated tenor Andrea Bocelli released a song, Polvere e Gloria: Dust and Glory, which they collaborated on when the Italian was serving his drug ban (Feb to May). Sinner, who delivers lines in a speaking role, underlines the importance of being yourself. Just when it appeared that the German-speaking Tyrolian was setting the mood in the lead-up to The Championships, where he opens against compatriot Luca Nardi, news that the world No.

1 had split with his fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio emerged, just three days before the start of the grass-court major.

Osteopath Andrea Cipolla has joined Sinner at Wimbledon alongside his coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi. Panichi and Badio, who had previously worked with the 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic, have been with Sinner for the last nine months. The Italian had earlier split with physio Giacomo Naldi and trainer Umberto Ferrara after his high-profile doping case, in which he tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol during the Indian Wells Masters last year.

Sinner and Sabalenka, at their best on hardcourts, having won their three Majors on the synthetic surface, will be tested on the grass. Sinner, who has made one semifinal at SW19 in 2023, and Sabalenka, in the last-four in 2021 and 23, will look to shake-off recent demons and take the next step. In The Fire Inside, an American biographical sports film, twice Olympic gold medallist Claressa Shields is given life advice by her coach Jason Crutchfield.

“You can lose a fight, but you can’t let no one take your heart,” he told the then budding pugilist, “There’s a difference.” Just by picking up their rackets and returning to competition, Sinner and Sabalenka have shown they know the difference.