Mumbai: One of the more prominent changes at Wimbledon (given how the tournament swears by tradition) of late is getting the star players mic’d up for the initial minutes of their first practice hit on Centre Court.
That’s how we get to know that Novak Djokovic had no intention of giving the most recent Grand Slam men’s final a view until his wife and son compelled him to abandon his if-I-ain’t-playing-I-ain’t-watching theory. That’s how we also get to know that Jannik Sinner, the French Open runner-up, has, sort of, moved on and now feels it was a “huge honour” being part of a match that “people will remember”.
In those two mic’d up videos covering the warm-up session of Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner-Daniil Medvedev, lasting about five minutes each, more than a couple of minutes were spent talking about what happened in Paris. We’re now in London, in an immaculate setting and court that couldn’t be more contrasting than the messy red dirt. And yet, the shadow of Roland Garros lingers (that’s apart from the Aryna Sabalenka-Coco Gauff friction turned TikTok-inspired patch up).
Simply because that’s how good the title clash for the French Open between Alcaraz and Sinner was. It turned an iconic chapter to their own rivalry and the sport’s post-Big Three era by delivering a battle that, as Sinner said, people will remember for years to come.
It’s for the two protagonists, however, to forget about it and reset just three weeks on, for a Grand Slam arguably more prestigious and on a surface totally distinct. That’s the challenge that Wimbledon, beginning on Monday, presents for every hopeful coming off the French Open, not least the world’s top two male star turns of that final masterpiece.
It’s seemingly easier for Alcaraz – not simply because he won that final. He also is a two-time defending champion at Wimbledon who walks into this edition brimming with belief and flaunting another warmup Queen’s title.
It’s seemingly trickier for Sinner – again, not simply because he lost that final. He also doesn’t have upbeat credentials on grass to fall back on, with a semi-final showing in the 2023 Wimbledon being his best outing.
Even before the world No.1 could refocus towards London, he had to erase the memories of Paris and of losing that five-set contest from three match points up. It was far from easy. Sinner admitted to having sleepless nights after the final. He said that 10 days ago in Halle, where he crashed out in the second round as defending champion. Even with a warmup title last year, the Italian was beaten by Medvedev in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
Now, without the tune-up upturn but with the emotions of Roland Garros having settled, Sinner feels good to go at SW19.
“I feel ready to play,” he said. “What happened in the past is in the past. I feel good, especially mentally, I feel in a very good spot. Halle was a little different because I didn’t have so much time to cut that (French Open final feeling) off. Now it’s gone.
“I feel like I’m playing great, great tennis on grass. I’m just looking forward to go on court and to compete and enjoy my time here.”
Sinner, who opens against compatriot Luca Nardi and stares at a rather tricky draw thereafter, singled out movement as the most demanding adjustment for grass. “You have to cover the safe spot more and improvise a little bit more on the other sides,” he said.
That’s what Alcaraz does incredibly well. That’s what Djokovic too is quite adept at doing.
And it is why irrespective of how the season has been, one can never really write off the 24-time Grand Slam champion who has savoured the title-winning feel on Centre Court seven times.
By his own analysis speaking in London, Djokovic’s level of tennis over the last two years is “fluctuating much more”. Yet come the Slams, the steady, sturdy Serb tends to show up. He made the semi-finals at both the Australian Open and French Open, retiring mid-match from the former and outplayed by Sinner in the latter.
Djokovic, though, fancies himself more on grass. For proof look no further back than last year when he turned up at Wimbledon less than a month after a knee surgery and reached the final, before being outplayed by Alcaraz. At 38 with those ageing legs, his two young challengers are proving a bridge too far at the moment.
Still, for a mental beast who likes the way he is feeling physically at the moment, this could be his best shot for that one big push for Slam No.25, and Wimbledon No.8, which would put him level with Roger Federer’s record.
“I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance (for the 25th Slam),” Djokovic said. “Because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.”
Djokovic has Sinner, whom he has beaten twice at Wimbledon, for company in his half of the draw. In the other half lies Alcaraz. It means if a repeat of that French Open epic were to happen at Wimbledon, it would again be for the title.