Sinner Leads Wimbledon’s 2026 Men’s Seeds, Djokovic Slips to No. 7 at 39

Q: Is defending champion Jannik Sinner vulnerable after a health scare and no grass court preparation?

Yes. Sinner is vulnerable, even if he remains the favorite. The concern is real because his French Open exit was not just a bad loss but a physical collapse. He reported dizziness, nausea and low energy in the heat, and it revived a pattern of fitness issues seen before in hot conditions. That matters at Wimbledon because grass rewards sharp movement, quick reactions and physical stability over two weeks. His preparation has also been lighter than usual. He has not played a regular grass-court tournament since early June and initially planned to skip warm-up events altogether. He did, however, get some grass time in an exhibition at Hurlingham, where he beat Cameron Norrie and said he felt physically good. He has also said medical tests after Paris produced reassuring answers and that he and his team changed aspects of his training and recovery. So the picture is mixed. He is not arriving completely unprepared, but he is arriving with fewer competitive grass reps than many rivals and with recent questions about how his body holds up under stress. In a Wimbledon draw already expected to be volatile because of the revised seeding approach, that increases the upset risk. Still, the evidence does not point to a player in crisis. He is the defending champion, the No. 1 seed, and Carlos Alcaraz is out. If Sinner’s health holds and the conditions are manageable, he is still the man to beat.

3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jun 26

Jannik Sinner enters Wimbledon as the No. 1 men’s seed and the report’s pick to retain the title, despite arriving without a grass tuneup and after time out since early June.
The seedings lean heavily on rankings rather than grass pedigree, leaving seven-time champion Novak Djokovic at No. 7 and newly crowned French Open winner Alexander Zverev at No. 2 despite limited Wimbledon success.
Ben Shelton at No. 4, Taylor Fritz at No. 6 and Frances Tiafoe at No. 17 headline a strong U.S. contingent, fueling hopes an American could end Andy Roddick’s run as the last U.S. men’s major champion.
The outlook points to another volatile draw after a French Open marked by a first-time winner and only two top-10 players reaching the fourth round, reinforcing expectations of fresh upsets on grass.