Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon journey on Monday with the match against the German Hanfmann scheduled for no earlier than 18:30. He reveals in L’Equipe: “The welcome from the Milan fans is incredible”
Jannik Sinner plays his first Slam as world number 1. At Wimbledon there will undoubtedly be a special emotion for the Italian champion, an emotion that must however be put aside immediately to concentrate on tennis and on a tournament that offers him very complicated challenges starting with the one against the German Yannick Hanfmann in the first round.
Sinner: Monday debut with Hanfmann
The first time as world number 1 but there will be no center court honors for Jannik Sinner who challenges the German Yannick Hanfmann on Monday. The first day of the tournament sees the debut of the reigning champion, as per tradition, and Jannik who is in the same portion of the draw as Carlos Alcaraz will be busy right away. The Spaniard who only a few weeks ago achieved victory at Roland Garros will inaugurate the centre court and will take to the court no earlier than 1.30 pm against the Estonian Ljalal. The South Tyrolean will instead be busy in the third match on court number 1 which will first see the challenge between Kovacevic and Medvedev and then the one between Bektas and Sabalenka. Sinner will not be on the pitch until 6.30pm Italian time.
The precedents with Hanfmann and the complicated scoreboard
It wasn’t a particularly lenient draw for Jannik Sinner. In the first round there is the German Yannick Hanfman, number 95 in the world, with Sinner who won the only direct clash in the first round of the US Open 2023 in 3 sets with the score of 6-3, 6-1, 6-1. The German is an experienced player especially on grass and therefore he is not to be underestimated. But it is the subsequent rounds that are even more worrying since Sinner could find on his path one of those players that you never want to face on grass like his compatriot Matteo Berrettini who instead debuts on Monday around 2pm against the Hungarian Fucsovics.
But Monday will be a day with a high tricolor rate. At 11 there will be the difficult debut of Matteo Arnaldi against Tiafoe on field 15, and that of Fognini against Koepfer on 16. Lorenzo Sonego instead will have to wait around 7pm for the match against the Argentine Navone, while Bellucci will face the American Shelton in the evening. Also on the field Jasmine Paolini at 3pm against Sorribes, and followed by Martina Trevisan against Keys. At 7pm it will be Sara Errani’s turn against Noskova.
Sinner: the message to Milan
Over the last few months Jannik Sinner has become a real point of reference for Italian fans and also for many who had never followed tennis with great attention. In recent days one of the recurring phrases is the one linked to the two national teams involved in these days: that of Spalletti on the pitch for Euro 2024 and Jannik which now represents a fixed appointment for Italians.
The popularity of the blue skyrocketed to the point of even ending on the cover of L’Equipe to whom he granted a long interista. Sinner spoke about his detachment from social media, from the desire to always remain true to himself but also when he realized his popularity: “Last year, after the Davis Cup, I went to San Siro for a Milan match. The fans in the Curva Sud knew I was coming and they wrote my name in the stands. It was a crazy feeling, even more so as a Milan fan.”.
