THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2026

Jannik Sinner

Press Conference

J. SINNER/M. Kecmanovic

4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Jannik, battle out there, but you've come through. Give us your thoughts.

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I'm very happy of course being back on this beautiful tournament. First match is never easy, as we saw. My first official match on grass court after a year. So very happy about today's match, even though a tough one. Very much needed.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was going through your mind at the end of the third set when you were two sets to one down?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, I had my chances in the third set. Couldn't use them. Played couple of points in the tiebreak, you need to accept. Tried to reset myself as fast as I could. Trying to hold serve the first couple of service games are very, very important because if he breaks you straightaway, it is tough to come back. I think that's it. Not ideal position.

But I try to stay there mentally, trying also to enjoy the moment because it has been an amazing day for me and my team as well. Coming here, opening match on Centre Court, it's a huge privilege.

Q. You slipped a couple of times at the baseline. How did you find the conditions out there? How much can you practice for that sort of thing to either stop yourself from slipping or learning how to fall?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, one fall is a tough one because you can get injured. But it is the most normal thing. Grass court is like this. Especially the first couple of matches when the grass is very new, you slip a little bit more.

Yeah, I got lucky there because things can go wrong very, very quickly. I try to still trust in my movement. Also third, fourth and fifth set was very important to keep moving in a very natural way, which I did.

I'm very glad nothing happened.

Q. Do you think being a former skier helps you to fall in a right way or have less nasty falls?

JANNIK SINNER: I don't think. I don't think because there are some movements you cannot really control. It's just normal instinct. Skiing can help you in certain moments, but not when you fall, yeah, when you have zero control.

We did a lot of prevention before this tournament because we knew things like this could happen potentially. Today it happened. So most important is to take this part away and keep moving like before because if not, when you are very scared, everything goes too slow. On this surface you cannot do.

Q. Miomir is a very tough competitor. Some people underestimate that. What do you think in his game today you were struggling with the most?

JANNIK SINNER: I think he's a very, very good player in all surfaces, but especially on grass because his ball is very flat so it goes through the court very well.

The plus-one shot of him today was very, very strong. Even though sometimes I returned very well, he was always playing the first ball very well, and I struggled a bit. So that's something where we need to improve.

Now we have one day, tomorrow, which hopefully gives us a little bit time and the right rhythm to get back the next day.

Yeah, it is a little bit different playing on Centre Court the first match because the ball is slightly slower than the courts where you practice. In the beginning I struggled a bit with the forehand. I knew it before the match. I need couple of matches.

Hopefully I have the chance to play couple of matches and then we see how I move.

Q. You mentioned your nail on the court. Looked pretty bad on camera. Was it bothering you or impacting anything?

JANNIK SINNER: No, it was good. All good.

Q. Jack Draper pulled out of the tournament today with injury. Yesterday he was talking about demands on players. He thinks the amount of injuries is pretty worrying. The topic of scheduling has been discussed quite a bit. What do you think right now?

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, look, it's a tough one. For Jack, I talked with him before the tournament. I practiced with him before he went to Eastbourne. Felt like he was hitting the ball very clean with a very good speed.

I always say personally when he is at his best, he's one of the best players in the world. He has shown this already so many times.

When you struggle with injuries like this, I just got to know five minutes before I was doing press outside, it's tough because he is one of my friends. You don't wish anyone hard luck like he had throughout his whole career until now.

I hope he will find a way. Maybe it's just prevention-wise. I don't know. I haven't talked with him yet. It's tough for the UK. Emma out, Jack out, it's tough.

Talking about the other players, you can still make choices where you want to play, where you don't want to play before tournaments, after tournaments. Yeah, so I always try to put myself in the highest priority, trying to understand what I need in that moment. That's it.

But yeah, tough for Jack.

Q. You talked on court after the match about feeling some nerves before you came out. Can you talk about what it is like standing there in those moments knowing you're the defending champion, opening Centre Court.

JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, it's tough to describe. In the same time I always enjoyed this moment because what emotions I felt last year, it was the first time that I felt in this way, in a very happy way. Coming back here and opening and play on Centre Court, this year was a year where nobody practiced on it before, so it was brand-new. Mentally you know it.

It has been an amazing, amazing day for me to feel this way at least once in my life. Yeah, I think I handled the situation still quite well. Yeah, it was a very nervy, but very happy that I found a way today.