Sinner Explains Why His Parents Declined Wimbledon Royal Box Invitation

Posted : 04 July 2026

Jannik Sinner has revealed why his parents declined an invitation to sit in the prestigious Royal Box during his opening match at Wimbledon, saying they simply prefer to avoid the public spotlight.

The defending Wimbledon champion said his parents were offered seats on Centre Court for his first-round match against Miomir Kecmanovic but politely refused. Instead, they chose to stay away from the cameras despite the significance of the occasion.

Speaking after reaching the fourth round, Sinner explained that the decision came as no surprise. He said his mother, in particular, dislikes public attention, while his father shares the same preference.

"I know my parents," Sinner said. "I asked them, but it was impossible. They didn't say yes. My mom doesn't want to be in front of the cameras at all, and the same goes for my dad. I expected a firm no, and it came."

The Italian added that there was little discussion about the invitation because he already understood how they felt. He also noted that his parents had other commitments and respected their decision to stay away from Centre Court.

Sinner's parents did attend last year's Wimbledon final, where they watched from the players' box as their son defeated Carlos Alcaraz to win his maiden Wimbledon title. This time, however, they preferred to remain out of the spotlight while their son continued his title defence.

The world No. 1 has enjoyed a strong campaign at the All England Club after surviving a five-set battle against Kecmanovic in the opening round. He has since defeated Nuno Borges and Jenson Brooksby in straight sets to reach the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year.

Despite the convincing victory over Brooksby, Sinner admitted there is still room for improvement if he hopes to retain his crown.

"For sure, I'm very happy about the win," Sinner said. "I'm trying to improve every day. It was a small step forward today. If I want to go far in this tournament, there are a couple of things we need to handle better."

The 24-year-old also praised Brooksby for providing a difficult challenge and thanked the Centre Court crowd for their support throughout the match.

Sinner will next face Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki in the fourth round. Although the pair have never met on the ATP Tour, Sinner expects another difficult contest and believes every player left in the draw has earned their place.

He said grass remains one of the most unpredictable surfaces in tennis and stressed that his focus will remain on his own performance as he continues his pursuit of back-to-back Wimbledon titles.

Sinner Explains Why His Parents Declined Wimbledon Royal Box Invitation

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