Jannik Sinner ramps up Wimbledon preparation with eye-catching win over Cameron Norrie in exhibition

There are promising signs for Jannik Sinner heading into Wimbledon following a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Cameron Norrie at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in London on Wednesday in scorching heats exceeding well over 30 degrees Celsius.

For someone who struggles with competing in the heat, Sinner will be relieved to get a huge confidence boost against a very tricky opponent. Norrie was comfortably dealt with, an ominous sign for the rest of the field heading to SW19 with Sinner looking to regain his Wimbledon title.

He opted not to compete in any ATP grass tournaments this. His usual venture to the Halle Open was cancelled after his immense run of tennis played. He won five consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments and 30 wins on the spin before that unlikely defeat in the second round of Roland Garros where he was dumped out by Juan Manuel Cerundolo in surprising fashion.

Now rested and replenished for the second half of the year, Sinner is the name to beat. He broke the serve against the British number one as he sailed into a 2-0 lead. He got the first set done and dusted with yet another break right at the end, taking one of his set points to storm out into a commanding lead. He then took the initiative in the second set after a break of serve put him 4-2 to the good. Norrie forced him to serve it out, and Sinner accepted this proposal and is up and running on grass ahead of Wimbledon.

The exhibition is the perfect tournament for Sinner to get some tennis under his legs. No pressure of getting a positive result while also not needing to exert a huge amount of energy while still putting on a show for the crowd.

“It was great,” he said in his on-court interview. “It’s a big pleasure to play here. 
A new scenario for me because I’ve never been here. These kinds of exhibition matches are good because we try out a couple of things, and hopefully be as good as we can then for the next week.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion had to reluctantly hand back his Wimbledon trophy ahead of the 2026 event starting up. He is the big favourite to take the title with last year's runner-up and two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz still sidelined with a wrist injury.

For Sinner, his preparation following that tragic Roland Garros display has been positive. “I’ve been on grass now nearly a week, so every day counts,” he commented. "It’s very, very important to get used to the conditions. 
Here (at the Hurlingham Club) it is slightly faster than the courts there (at Wimbledon), but still, it’s better this way. You need to react a little bit faster. We still have some important practice sessions coming up.”

The Italian is hugely excited to be making a return to Wimbledon. His form has been very good there, reaching the quarter-finals at least in his last four ventures. While he may have taken that in the past, it is the title or bust these days for the World No.1 who is honoured to see his names alongside some of the greats of the sport.

"Seeing my name next to all these incredible names (list of Wimbledon champions) means a lot to me,” he said. "Definitely a dream come true, but at the same time, it’s a new tournament. It is, for me, the most special tournament we have throughout the whole year because the grass season is so short. We play in such a historical court and club. I’m looking forward to it and then we see how it goes.”

Wimbledon will take place from June 29 - July 12. It was, surprisingly, the last Grand Slam Sinner has won. He since lost in the final of the US Open against Alcaraz before being stunned at the Australian Open in the semi-final against Novak Djokovic, losing both of his crowns. If he does not win Wimbledon, he will not be the reigning champion in any Grand Slam event. A very surprising thought to think considering how impenetrable he has been on court.