Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has disclosed that his parents turned down an invitation to sit in the prestigious Royal Box on Centre Court for his first-round match, citing a desire to avoid the media spotlight.
Parents Opt Out of Royal Box
The world number one, aged 24, defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in a gripping five-set battle in his opening match at SW19 on Monday. Despite being offered seats in the Royal Box, his mother and father declined. Sinner explained on Friday: "I know my parents. I asked them, but it was impossible. They didn't say yes. It's okay, I mean I know them, I don't have to ask. Mostly I know my mum and the fact that she doesn't want to be in front of the cameras at all, same thing for my dad. I expected a firm no and it came, so all good."
He added, "We hardly even discussed it. They have other things to do and I understand that." In contrast, fellow defending champion Iga Swiatek's parents were present in the VIP seats throughout her first-round fixture.
Sinner's Progress at Wimbledon
Sinner's parents did attend last year's Wimbledon final, watching from the player's box as he claimed the title against Carlos Alcaraz. This year, David Beckham attended Monday's match with his mother. Sinner has since advanced past Nuno Borges and Jenson Brooksby in straight sets to reach the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year. After his 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Brooksby, he acknowledged room for improvement: "For sure, very, very happy about the win. Trying to improve every day... small step forward today. Trying to get better... if I want to go far in this tournament, a couple things we need to handle better."
Next Challenge: Shintaro Mochizuki
On Sunday, Sinner faces world number 150 Shintaro Mochizuki, who has dropped only one set in his three matches. Sinner commented, "We never played. But let's see. Whoever is in the fourth round of a Slam deserves to be there. It's gonna be a tough match. I know he played against a very tough opponent today. Especially this surface, it's very unpredictable. If you have a slightly wrong day, it's tough to get out. Let's see. I try to look more on my side of the net, trying to be the best I can in a couple days time. Then we see how it goes."
Sinner expressed gratitude for the support: "It's always special to be back here. This court gave me so much energy also in the past, I can confirm this. Thank you so much and see you in the next round."
