Jannik Sinner has been encouraged to use Wimbledon as the perfect platform to recover from his heartbreaking loss in the French Open final, with former world No 3 Ivan Ljubicic calling it the “ideal moment” to rebound.
Sinner, 22, came agonizingly close to claiming his second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this month, letting slip a two-set lead and three championship points in a dramatic defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. It was the Italian star’s first Grand Slam final outside of hard courts and a painful way to miss out on what could have been a historic moment.
Despite the disappointment, Ljubicic believes the short turnaround between the French Open and Wimbledon could work in Sinner’s favor.
>“It was a nice blow, a hard blow,” Ljubicic told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “But do you know how to erase a blow like that? If you keep going and have the chance to win a Slam. The good news is that this is the ideal moment… you get back in the game right away.”
Ljubicic pointed out the unique advantage of the calendar, noting that while a loss in New York or Melbourne means waiting months for the next Slam, Sinner gets another shot just three weeks after Paris.
Currently ranked world No 1, Sinner heads into Wimbledon with a strong recent record on grass. He’s reached at least the quarterfinals at SW19 in each of the past three years, including a semi-final run in 2023. His ability to adjust to the surface and his high confidence level make him a serious contender in London.
However, the rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz remains a mental hurdle. Sinner’s French Open defeat marked his fifth straight loss to the Spaniard, who now trails 8–4 in their head-to-head after previously leading 4–3.
Still, Ljubicic remains confident in Sinner’s trajectory.
“From a psychological point of view, it’s crucial he doesn’t stop. The best remedy is to keep playing and give yourself another chance. And that chance comes now.”
With Wimbledon just days away, all eyes will be on Sinner to see if he can turn heartbreak into history.
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