The Wimbledon scene witnessed a series of impactful performances this week, with Italian tennis players shining. Amid high-level matches, Matteo Berrettini secured a narrow victory over Stan Wawrinka. Other names such as Tyra Grant, Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Sonego also achieved important triumphs. Today, attention turns to Jannik Sinner, number one in Italy.
Jannik Sinner’s recovery for the confrontation with Nuno Borges
Jannik Sinner showed good recovery after the first round challenges against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. For his next match, Sinner intensified his training with two partners and coach Vagnozzi, seeking to improve his performance to face Portuguese Nuno Borges. The clash repeats the Sofia clash in 2022, when the Italian won on hard courts.
The atmosphere at the All England Club has been marked by a mix of nostalgia and renewal, with the presence of legends and the rise of new talent. Former champion Serena Williams, aged 44, had a remarkable performance, while Berrettini and Wawrinka staged an epic battle. With a combined 71 and 47 aces in the match, the veterans fought in four sets decided in tie-breaks. Berrettini’s victory over Wawrinka was a spectacle of overcoming, and the emotional farewell of the three-time Grand Slam champion, who cried alongside Matteo, touched everyone. “I don’t want to retire, but I’m afraid the time has come,” said Wawrinka.
The good performance of the Italian delegation in London
Jannik Sinner’s return to the court comes in a tournament of comebacks and emotional farewells. The initial challenges against Kecmanovic did not leave any mark on the tennis player, who prepared intensely for today’s game. In addition to Sinner, Flavio Cobolli, Roland Garros finalist, also returns to the court to continue his match against Argentine Navone, interrupted by the lack of natural light. The Italian contingent, with the exception of Arnaldi and Cocciaretto, stands firm. Jasmine Paolini, 2024 finalist, showed great strength by overturning an adverse score of 6-0 in the first set against American Montgomery, classifying the moment as her “best game of the season”. Lorenzo Sonego also secured a four-set victory against Argentine Etcheverry. One of the most recent highlights is 18-year-old Tyra Caterina Grant, born in Rome and raised in Vigevano. Daughter of a former basketball player and a tennis coach, Tyra trained for seven years at Riccardo Piatti’s gym, where she established a friendship with Sinner. After alternating between the USA and Italy, she accepted an invitation from the Italian Tennis Federation, representing the country in the Fed Cup and Foro Italico.
The rise of Tyra Grant inspired by Serena Williams and Sinner
At Wimbledon, Tyra Grant surprised by going through qualifying and eliminating host Katie Boulter, experienced player and fiancée of Alex De Minaur, with notable authority. Inspired by Serena Williams’ journey, she shared the excitement of her debut, which will become a milestone in Italian tennis. “It’s all crazy, I was less tense than in qualifying,” said Grant, who was in control of the game from start to finish. The coincidence of her debut in the main draw with the return of Williams, a seven-time tournament champion, was another point of inspiration. Grant admires Serena’s aggression and personality on the court. Her other big role model is Jannik Sinner, who she sees as a constant motivation. “It’s impossible not to feel motivated to do your best when you see Jannik writing the history of our sport every day,” concluded the young tennis player.
