Jannik Sinner will play his first match since the French Open final at the Halle Open, where he is the defending champion.
Sinner won the title at the ATP 500 tournament last year, after defeating Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets.
It remains the only grass-court title that the Italian has won in his career, having never reached the final at any other event on the surface.
The world number one is looking to bounce back in Germany after his defeat at Roland Garros, where Sinner lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final over five sets.
His Paris conqueror chose to play at Queen’s in preparation for Wimbledon, while the 23-year-old opted for Halle; a decision he explained prior to the start of the event.
Jannik Sinner explains why he chose to enter the Halle Open instead of Queen’s
Speaking to Tennis TV, Sinner explained: “I think this tournament is different from Queen’s, because in Queen’s you are in London already [before Wimbledon].
“I like to not go to London too early, for me it’s good that I change places at times.
“And this [The Halle Open] is very… I will not say low-key, but different, because for me and where I am from, maybe my dad is coming, if something happens, he comes by car; we are quite close.
“There’s some great atmosphere here too, and they would just like to see some good tennis.”
“They had the best they could get with Roger [Federer], that’s for sure [laughs], but we try to make this event special, and that’s why people love to come here.
“I’m happy to be here and happy to be a part of this tournament. Hopefully it’ll be a high-quality event, which I’m quite sure it’s going to be.”
Jannik Sinner on his relationship with grass courts ahead of the Halle Open
When asked about his current relationship with grass courts, Sinner said: “For sure it’s the least played surface that I’ve ever played on.
“I think it’s about confidence. When you have confidence, you play good, when you’re not confident you struggle a little bit more.
“The first few matches are very important, especially the very first one, you never know what to expect.
“I always call it a toxic relationship with grass because things can go so well, and then at some point, so bad.
“It’s important to have a friendship with the grass. I think I learned that last year, and this year hopefully I can do it even better, so let’s see what’s coming.”
Sinner will play a qualifier in the first round of the Halle Open and will face one of Alexandre Muller or Alexander Bublik should he advance to round two.
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