SINNER BEGINS WIMBLEDON DEFENCE AFTER FRENCH OPEN SHOCK

Jannik Sinner will defend his Wimbledon title starting Monday against Miomir Kecmanovic, two months after losing in the second round of the French Open in what he described as one of the biggest shocks at a major in recent years. Sinner held a two-set lead and 5-1 advantage in the third set against Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo before losing the match. The defeat ended a 30-match winning streak for the Italian world number one and halted his pursuit of becoming the second-youngest man to win all four Grand Slam titles, a feat achieved by Carlos Alcaraz in Australia in January.

Sinner said he did not attribute the Paris loss to the heat on the day of the match. He has since undergone health tests, the results of which he described as "very good". The 24-year-old confirmed he and his team have made adjustments to his training and preparation, including wearing an ice vest whilst training in hot conditions at Wimbledon. Sinner stated that he does not expect immediate results from these changes, describing the process as gradual and emphasising that "there's no magic behind it". He acknowledged the difficulty of fully simulating match conditions outside of competitive play.

Sinner enters Wimbledon as the overwhelming favourite, having won last year's final against Alcaraz in four sets. His childhood coach, Andreas Schonegger, described Sinner's mental resilience from an early age, recounting how the player demonstrated exceptional determination to continue training as a child. The All England Club begins on Monday.