Twelve months ago, Aleksandar Vukic faced defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon on No. 1 Court in the second round. This year, the 29-year-old Australian is set for another challenging match against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the All England Club. For Vukic, it’s an opportunity to test his skills and rely on his grass-court experience.
“It’s one of those matches that you will look back on when you’re done with your career,” Vukic said to ATPTour.com at Wimbledon. He emphasized the importance of playing well and having things go his way. Reflecting on last year’s match against Alcaraz, he noted, “I’m happy I played Carlos here last year, I think that will help me.”
Vukic has a 0-2 record against Sinner in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with both matches previously played on hard courts. However, he believes Wimbledon’s grass surface offers different dynamics that could work in his favor.
After defeating former Wimbledon boys’ winner Chun-Hsin Tseng in the first round, Vukic highlighted his strengths on grass: “It suits my backhand quite well, and my forehand is pretty versatile to adapt to different surfaces.” He added that growing up on synthetic grass helped him adapt to Wimbledon’s conditions.
Sinner enters the match with determination after a tough loss to Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final and an early exit in Halle. Acknowledging Vukic’s improvements, Sinner said, “He has improved, he’s a huge server and a very good forehand.”
At 29 years old, Vukic has experienced a solid rise in his career. In 2023, he reached his first tour-level final in Atlanta and achieved a career-high No. 48 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Despite some struggles with form and consistency this year, he remains optimistic about regaining momentum.
“It’s always an experience with the Tour,” Vukic reflected as World No. 93. “You have to use the momentum and stop when it’s not going your way.”
Despite challenges like being away from home often due to travel demands from Australia, Vukic remains grounded and focused on making the most of opportunities like facing Sinner.
“Everyone’s level is very close,” he said about competition levels among players. “It’s also about adapting when things are not going your way.”