Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner took to Court 1 at Wimbledon on Thursday to play out a practice set ahead of the Championships starting.
Sinner, the defending champion in SW19, enters the tournament as the heavy favourite this year following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal due to injury.
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While several stars will believe they can dethrone the world number one, the player with arguably the best chance is Djokovic, who is one of three men to beat him this season.
The Serb battled past the 24-year-old in a five-set thriller at the Australian Open earlier this year, ending his pursuit of a three-peat Down Under.
In their practice session at the All England Club, however, it was Sinner who came out on top.
Novak Djokovic’s practice set with Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon
According to Spazio Tennis, Sinner emerged victorious 6-3 in the first practice set. The two stars began a second set, but stopped at 1-1.
Heading into Wimbledon, Sinner leads the head-to-head with Djokovic 6-5, having won five of their last six clashes on the tour.
Prior to Djokovic beating him at the Australian Open, Sinner was on a five-match winning streak in the rivalry, dating back to 2023.
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The four-time major champion’s streak against Djokovic included wins at three Grand Slam semifinals: The 2024 Australian Open, the 2025 French Open and the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
Many thought the streak would continue at Melbourne Park in January, but Djokovic produced one of his best performances in recent memory to deny Sinner.
Alexander Zverev could be a threat toJannik Sinner after Roland Garros
While Djokovic remains Sinner’s biggest potential challenge at Wimbledon, Roland Garros champion Alexander Zverev will certainly feel he can also beat the world’s best player.
Zverev finally captured an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, beating Flavio Cobolli in the final to hoist the trophy.
Though grass has never been the German’s strongest surface, he will be playing with newfound confidence after finally getting over the hump at a major.
Zverev’s best result at Wimbledon is a fourth-round finish, which he has achieved on three separate occasions.
But with his momentum, along with the omission of Alcaraz, he may just have his best chance ever of making a deep run in London.
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