Bopanna backs Sinner, Rybakina for Wimbledon titles; Samson hails India women’s World Cup triumph

Ahead of Wimbledon 2026, Rohan Bopanna tipped Jannik Sinner and Elena Rybakina to win the singles titles, while Sanju Samson compared MS Dhoni to Roger Federer and praised India’s ICC Women’s World Cup-winning team for inspiring future generations.

Hyderabad: As the world’s finest tennis stars prepare to battle for glory at Wimbledon 2026, the sport’s most prestigious Grand Slam once again takes centre stage. Speaking on JioStar ahead of the tournament, former India tennis player Rohan Bopanna and Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson reflected on the significance of Wimbledon, India’s triumph at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, and their predictions for the men’s and women’s singles titles.*

Speaking on JioStar, Rohan Bopanna shared his predictions for the men’s and women’s singles titles.

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“It’s such a tough question; the field is so open. But I have to go with defending champion Jannik Sinner for the men’s tournament. Among women, I would pick Elena Rybakina,” Rohan said.

On the significance of Wimbledon, Rohan said: “Wimbledon is a magical dream because I grew up watching only that. Back home, we only used to watch Wimbledon. In fact, television only broadcast Wimbledon. So, for me to go there and not only be present but also play on those courts was absolutely amazing.”
” I also played in an era when the three greatest tennis players of our generation, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, were competing. Sharing locker rooms with them and simply being there was better than a dream, actually,” he said. Sanju Samson drew comparisons between the tennis and cricket legends.

“The Roger Federer of cricket? It has to be MS Dhoni. He is very calm and composed in the way he goes about his business. When he performs, it looks effortless yet very powerful. Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, is very explosive, much like how Virat Bhai started. Maybe Virat Kohli can be compared to Alcaraz. He is very aggressive and full of power and explosiveness,” Samson said.

On the memories of India’s triumph at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, Samson said:

“We were all watching the final. My family members and everyone else were glued to the TV. It was a special moment for all of us in the country. We had been waiting for it for a long time. We knew we were capable of winning the World Cup, yet while we were so close, we were very far.”
” I was very happy for all the players in the team. There was so much hard work behind it and so many great stories within the squad itself. It was a proud moment for all of us. I think the standards were set very high for us”, he said.
” They won the World Cup and put us on a stage where we felt that we could do the same in India. It was a great moment that both World Cups happened in India and that we won them. So, yes, that victory definitely played a part,” Samson said.

On Australia as an opponent ahead of India’s fixture against the six-time champions in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, Smason said:
“A lot of respect goes to the Australian team. I think the reason we hold them in such high regard is that they were the most dominant cricketing nation when we were growing up. Every World Cup seemed to be won by Australia. But now, I think the roles have reversed. We are the champions, and we play and compete with the same attitude. So, yes, there is a lot of respect for them as an opponent.”