Two-time Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has explained why his mother will not sit in the famous Royal Box at the All England Club, saying she does not want to be watched and scrutinised by the cameras while he plays.
The world No. 1 lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2025 and 2026, and is on a 14-match winning streak at the tournament. His final appearance of the season came on the grass courts of SW19, where he beat Alexander Zverev in the championship match before a knee injury ended his year.
Mum turns down Royal Box offer
Earlier this year, it emerged that Sinner's parents had declined the chance to watch his first-round clash with Miomir Kecmanovic from the Royal Box. As defending champion, the 25-year-old opened play on Centre Court on day one, but his mother and father did not take up the offer to sit in the prestigious box behind the baseline.
Speaking to La Repubblica, the five-time Grand Slam champion explained his mother's decision. "She's improved a lot. She doesn't come out during my matches anymore," he said. "Her refusal to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon is because she doesn't want to be watched and scrutinised by the cameras when I play. She's not entirely wrong; she doesn't like the tension, even if she's more relaxed now."
Mother's tension during matches
When Sinner beat Zverev in four sets to retain the Wimbledon title this summer, he noticed that his mother, Siglinde, had to leave a few times, the tension too unbearable. "My mum… I see her. She left the stadium a couple of times," he grinned during his victory speech.
Sinner's mother has often been spotted looking stressed during tough matches, including the 2025 Roland Garros final, where the Italian blew three championship points before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. A few weeks earlier, she also left the stadium when her son went a set down to Tommy Paul at the Masters 1000 event in Rome.
"I left at the end of the first set. I'll take a stroll around here and wait for the match to end," she told Gazzetta at the time. "I never watch Jannik's entire matches live; it rarely happens. I prefer to stay in front of the TV. Only in Turin did I manage to watch the final and a bit of the previous rounds. My husband stayed; he never has any qualms."
Season cut short by injury
Sinner has not played a match since this year's Wimbledon final. A knee injury forced him to miss Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati, as well as the US Open. He hoped to return during the Asian swing, but pulled out of the China Open and the Shanghai Masters before ending his season altogether.
"At the moment I also need to think about my long-term career. I will do everything possible to get back to 100 per cent," he said in a video message. The current world No. 1, who will relinquish his top spot to Zverev after shutting down his season, is expected to return at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, a three-day exhibition event postponed to December 27.
