Sinner the favorite at Wimbledon with Alcaraz sidelined

Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 and defending Wimbledon champion, begins his title defense on Monday as the clear favorite following the withdrawal of Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz, ranked second, is sidelined with a right wrist injury that has kept him off the court for the past two months.

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Jannik Sinner, number 1 in the ATP rankings and reigning Wimbledon champion, begins the defense of his crown this Monday at the All England Club as the big favorite to win the title after the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, number 2 and out due to an injury to his right wrist that has kept him away from the courts for the last two months.

Sinner enters the third Grand Slam of the season aiming to replicate his success from last year. However, his form carries some question marks after an unexpected defeat in the second round of Roland Garros. He lost to Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerúndolo despite holding a commanding lead in the match, having been affected by the heat.

London is bracing for high temperatures, with forecasts predicting highs above 30 degrees Celsius during the initial days of the championship. These unusually hot conditions could significantly affect players' stamina and performance. Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam winner, has not yet secured a title this season. He is also heading into Wimbledon without having played any official grass-court matches, having only participated in an exhibition event last Wednesday where he defeated Britain's Cameron Norrie.

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The Italian faces the third Grand Slam of the season with the intention of revalidating the title won last year, although he arrives with some unknowns after his unexpected defeat in the second round of Roland Garros against the Argentine Juan Manuel Cerúndolo after suffering a heatstroke when he dominated the match by two sets to one and 5-1 in favor in the third.

Sinner's opening match is against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic. If he progresses as expected, he could face Spain's Rafa Jódar in the round of 16 and potentially Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time Wimbledon winner, sees this tournament as another opportunity to extend his legendary career. He will debut against China's Yibing Wu. Like Sinner, Djokovic has only played an exhibition match since Roland Garros, where he was eliminated in the third round.

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Precisely the high temperatures will again be one of the factors to take into account in London, where the heatwave affecting the United Kingdom will leave maximums above 30 degrees during the first days of the championship, unusual conditions that could condition the performance of the players.