Jannik Sinner has officially returned the Wimbledon men's singles trophy to the All England Club as he prepares to defend his crown. The Italian claimed victory in SW19 for the very first time last year, becoming the first player from his nation to win the men's singles title when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
Trophy Handover Ceremony
Sinner sat down with Debbie Jevans CBE, chairwoman of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, to symbolically 'return' the trophy he claimed in 2025. The four-time Grand Slam champion was only handed the 139-year-old gentlemen's singles trophy in the immediate aftermath of his win, before being required to return it. Just days before the start of Wimbledon 2026, he repeated the gesture.
Jevans welcomed Sinner by remarking it was a shame he'd have to part with the title, but hinted it might not be long before he gets to raise the genuine trophy aloft once more. She said in a video for Stan Sport: "You have to give it back! Thank you and I'm sorry. Hopefully only for a few weeks! You look as if you're pleased to get rid of it."
History of the Trophy
The All England Club spent 100 guineas to purchase the current silver-gilt cup in 1887 and introduced a new rule that very same year. The cup would remain the permanent property of the club, with future winners receiving a replica. Once the tournament concludes, the original trophy is returned to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.
The champion's name is engraved on the silverware immediately after their victory, and they are able to show it off at the Champions Dinner that evening. Upon returning it, replicas are then presented to the winners. These were first introduced in 1949 and stand at 13.5 inches tall, compared to the 18-inch original. So, following his victory over Alcaraz in 2025, Sinner departed with one of these replicas.
Sinner's Title Defence
The notion that it could be just a matter of weeks before Sinner gets his hands on the trophy once again comes from the fact that Alcaraz, his fiercest rival for the 2026 title, will be absent this year through injury. Sinner is consequently the overwhelming favourite to retain his title, yet insists he will not treat this Grand Slam any differently.
He told Vogue: "I approach it in the same way. I always say we don't defend, we always try to go for it, and hopefully we can do that. I know it's a long tournament. How I start is going to be very important. I haven't played any matches on grass, so the first match, or the first few matches, are going to be difficult. But if I'm able to get through them, I know the confidence on grass can come back and the good feelings as well."
