Jack Draper predicts how Jannik Sinner will perform at Wimbledon after his surprise defeat to Alexander Bublik in Halle

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The world number one’s Halle Open title defence went up in flames during his second-round match.

Less than two weeks removed from Sinner’s French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, he made his return to action on grass.

He started well in Halle, when Sinner beat Yannick Hanfmann in his opening match, setting up an intriguing last 16 clash with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik.

Suffering his first defeat to a player other than Alcaraz since August 2024, Sinner lost to Bublik, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.

Reacting to Sinner’s shock Halle Open exit, British star Jack Draper predicted how he thinks the world number one will perform at Wimbledon next month.

Jack Draper says Jannik Sinner is ‘not superhuman’ but expects him to bounce back at Wimbledon

Competing at this week’s other grass-court tournament, Queen’s, Draper revealed his expectations for Sinner at Wimbledon.

“I’m sure come Wimbledon, he’s going to be right in the groove,” he said.

“Yeah, he’s not super-human. He’s going to lose certain matches, especially with the level of players out there, you know.”

Draper shared his thoughts on Sinner’s level over the past 12 months, explaining why one defeat doesn’t mean a lot.

“He’s barely lost many matches,” he said.

“I don’t know the stats. I think my coach showed me on Instagram something that he hasn’t lost to anyone apart from [Carlos] Alcaraz since Cincinnati. He’s been the most consistent, top player on the tour.”

Reflecting on the defeat itself, the Brit explained why he ‘wasn’t surprised’ to see Sinner lose to Bublik.

“You know, grass is a very different surface. He’s obviously just come off the back of a French Open,” said Draper.

“Playing on a greasy grass court against [Alexander] Bublik, someone I know full well from the French Open, he can come up with some amazing tennis from the serve and off the ground.

“So if he was locked in, I’m not surprised that that troubled Jannik [Sinner], because it is his first tournament on grass, and it is difficult to start off playing great tennis.”

Bublik’s serve overpowered Sinner at times during their Halle clash, hitting 15 aces to the Italian’s six.

Taking down Sinner, the Kazakh secured his second top-ten win of the month, following Bublik’s win over Draper at the French Open.

Bublik has now beaten four top ten opponents in 2025, as he continues to raise his level against the very best in the men’s game.

• 2025 Madrid Open 3R – Alexander Bublik d. [8] Andrey Rublev
• 2025 French Open 2R – Alexander Bublik d. [9] Alex de Minaur
• 2025 French Open 4R – Alexander Bublik d. [5] Jack Draper
• 2025 Halle Open 2R – Alexander Bublik d. [1] Jannik Sinner

With that in mind, it’s fair to say Bublik is no ordinary world number 45, and perhaps fans shouldn’t be so quick to assess the result as a shock.

Sinner will now turn his attention to Wimbledon, where he will search for his second Grand Slam of the year.

How did Jannik Sinner perform at Wimbledon in 2024?

The 23-year-old will travel to Wimbledon as one of the pre-tournament favorites, but how did he perform at the All England Club in 2024?

Sinner made a strong start last time around, winning his opening four matches without too much trouble.

• 2024 Wimbledon 1R – Jannik Sinner d. Yannick Hanfmann, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
• 2024 Wimbledon 2R – Jannik Sinner d. Matteo Berrettini, 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 7-6
• 2024 Wimbledon 3R – Jannik Sinner d. Miomir Kecmanovic, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
• 2024 Wimbledon 4R – Jannik Sinner d. Ben Shelton, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6

Advancing to the quarterfinals, Sinner came face to face with Daniil Medvedev, against whom he trailed in the head-to-head 5-6.

In a thriller, it was the number one seed who took the early lead, edging ahead in a first-set tiebreaker 7-6 [9-7].

Battling back, Medvedev took the second and third sets, 6-4, 7-6, to move him within touching distance of a second consecutive Wimbledon semi-final.

Refusing to give in, Sinner stepped into another gear in the fourth, sending their quarterfinal clash to a deciding set.

After four hours of thrilling action, it was the Russian who prevailed 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, on Centre Court.

Coming up just short, Sinner suffered another disappointing defeat at Wimbledon, statistically his worst Grand Slam event.

Sinner will no doubt hope to improve upon his record at Wimbledon when he returns in 2025.

This year’s Wimbledon tournament is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 30.