John McEnroe has declared Jannik Sinner the clear favourite to win Wimbledon for a second consecutive year, stating there is 'no question about that' after the defending champion advanced to the third round.
Sinner battles through early rounds
Sinner, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set final last year to claim his first Wimbledon title, faced questions about his form after a shock second-round exit at the French Open in May. The 24-year-old had played only one match since—an exhibition against Cameron Norrie—and showed rust in his opening match against Miomir Kecmanovic, falling two sets to one before rallying to win in five sets.
In the second round, Sinner looked far more comfortable, beating Nuno Borges in straight sets on Centre Court. He will now face American Jenson Brooksby in the third round.
McEnroe praises Sinner's resilience
Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said Sinner's straight-sets victory over Borges was proof the Italian is returning to his best. 'It was a great test for him. He played a guy playing as good as he could play, throwing a lot at him and made him come up with the goods in some tense moments,' McEnroe said. 'Sinner has got to be feeling good about that to get through in straight sets. But that's just what the doctor ordered: it was highly competitive and his level lifted so it's good signs for Jannik Sinner.'
When asked if Sinner is the favourite to win again, McEnroe responded: 'Oh yeah, absolutely, no question about that. There is a little dent in the armour which you saw in France. There's always that risk when you don't play any matches (on grass before the tournament). You're a little bit unsure the first couple of rounds but he's going to go into Friday feeling a lot better than he did two sets to one down on Monday as the defending champion.'
Sinner acknowledges room for improvement
Sinner himself acknowledged he can play better. 'For sure for the first match on grass, having a tough opener, then getting through, it was good, was important. Today I managed the first couple of sets very well in tricky moments. I know that I can, or hopefully I can play a little bit better at times I know. Hopefully that comes match by match, then we see,' he said on Wednesday.
Djokovic and Zverev among contenders
Among those hoping to deny Sinner is seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who turned 39 in May and booked his third-round spot with a straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic is bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles and will face France's Arthur Rinderknech next.
Analysing Djokovic's performance, former world number 11 Sam Querrey said: 'That's the best Novak Djokovic has played since the Australian Open this year. That was an almost flawless performance. If he can sustain that level for five more matches, there is no reason to think he doesn't have a good shot at the Wimbledon title this year.'
Second seed Alexander Zverev, fresh from his French Open triumph, is also aiming for a deep run, though he has never advanced past the fourth round at Wimbledon. America's Ben Shelton is the only top-ten seed already out, after losing to wildcard Otto Virtanen in five sets in the first round.
