World No 1 Jannik Sinner has completed his only Wimbledon preparation match, defeating home favourite Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-3 at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club on Wednesday — with the contest unfolding on what became the hottest June day ever recorded in the United Kingdom.
Temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius in London during a significant heatwave, providing a particularly notable backdrop given Sinner’s last competitive outing. Less than a month earlier, the Italian collapsed physically during his second-round match at Roland Garros against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Having built a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 lead, Sinner managed only two more games as his body gave way in dramatic fashion — a defeat that raised questions about his physical condition heading into the grass-court season.
Wednesday’s conditions at Hurlingham were, by temperature, even more demanding than those at Roland Garros. Yet across an hour and 15 minutes on court, Sinner displayed no visible signs of physical difficulty. While exhibition matches do not carry the pressure or intensity of tour-level competition, the outing served as a meaningful fitness indicator given recent events.
On a fast, pristine grass surface that produced few extended baseline exchanges, Sinner was sharp from the opening game, breaking Norrie immediately to set the tone. A highlight of the first set came when Norrie served at 3-5, 40-AD, facing a set point. Sinner pushed with clear intent, producing a sliding open-stance backhand from a wide position to reverse the point and close out the set shortly after.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Sinner broke Norrie twice more, and at 4-2, he saved the only break point he faced throughout the entire match with a composed combination of a first serve and a decisive forehand. Norrie, ranked outside the top 50 following a difficult stretch of results, struggled consistently with the depth and pace Sinner generated from the baseline, regularly pushing forehands beyond the baseline.
Speaking in his on-court interview after the match — his first appearance at the prestigious Hurlingham Club — Sinner reflected on the value of the outing: “It’s great to play at this beautiful club. These exhibition matches are good because they allow us to try out a couple of things, and hopefully, we’ll be in the best possible shape for next week at Wimbledon.”
The Italian also addressed the importance of grass-court acclimatisation as Wimbledon approaches: “I’ve been on grass for nearly a week now and every day counts, so it’s very important to get used to the conditions. We still have some important practice sessions coming up, but hopefully, we’ll be as ready as we can be.”
Sinner enters Wimbledon as the top seed and defending champion, though he faces an unusual points situation at the tournament. According to reports, Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic are all set to drop ranking points at the 2026 edition of Wimbledon. The Italian’s form on grass last year — where he lifted his first Wimbledon title — means expectations remain high despite the fitness uncertainty generated at Roland Garros.
