Jannik Sinner is attempting to replicate Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon this year by defending the title.
Sinner is the favourite for the Wimbledon title, as both the top seed and the defending champion.
However, there are now more doubts surrounding the world number one at this year’s Championships, following Sinner’s shock second round defeat at Roland Garros last month.
Sinner has just one day before beginning his Wimbledon title defence, and five-time champion Borg has predicted if he will go back-to-back at the grass court major.
![Jannik Sinner with the winner's trophy after winning his Gentlemen's Singles Final match against Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) [2] during day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 13, 2025 in London, England.](https://cdn1.tennishead.net/uploads/106/2025/08/GettyImages-2225106887-1024x685.jpg)
Bjorn Borg says Jannik Sinner is his ‘favourite’ for the Wimbledon title
Only nine men in the Open Era have defended the Wimbledon title, with Borg doing it an incredible four times during his dominant streak between 1976 and 1980.
Borg was asked about the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon in an interview with Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, with the Swede backing Sinner to defend his title, something he claimed is now more likely as a result of Carlos Alcaraz’s absence.
“Jannik is a great champion, he’s the world number one, the hardest-hitting player, and he’s now demonstrated his enormous qualities on grass too,” said Borg.
“We don’t know what really happened at Roland Garros, but I’m sure he’s already put it all behind him. That’s why he’s definitely my favourite, especially since Alcaraz is missing.”
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Borg had a legendary rivalry with John McEnroe in his playing career, with Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry now the big thing on the ATP Tour.
When asked about Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry, Borg drew comparison to ‘The Big Three’ of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“When Roger and Rafa retired, the most common question everyone asked was what would happen to tennis,” said Borg. “Well, these two guys arrived, showing an incredible level and arousing an interest very similar to that felt with the Big Three.
“Rivalries, especially healthy ones like theirs, have always been the spice of the sport, and the one between Sinner and Alcaraz is destined to go down in history.”
Bjorn Borg rates Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning Wimbledon
One of the other favourites for the Wimbledon title is Djokovic, who is a seven-time champion at the grass court major.
While Borg was backing Sinner to win the title, he still backed Djokovic’s chances of competing well at Wimbledon this year, as well as calling the Serbian the greatest player of all time.
“For me, Novak is the greatest player of all time, even if Nadal’s 14 Roland Garros victories remain a superhuman feat,” added Borg. “Of course, Novak has just turned 39, he has to deal with the ravages of time, and it will be increasingly difficult for him to prevail against Sinner and Alcaraz.
“However, as he demonstrated in Australia, he maintains an exceptional motivation that pushes him to continue striving for the highest possible result, and as long as he retains this ability to compete, he will be a tough rival for anyone, especially on grass, which is practically his backyard.”
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Both Sinner and Djokovic will begin their Wimbledon campaigns on Monday, June 29, playing against Miomir Kecmanovic and Yibing Wu, respectively.
The two Wimbledon champions could only play if they both reach the semi-finals, in what would be their first match since Djokovic beat Sinner at the Australian Open.
