Just a few weeks ago, Gucci cast Jannik Sinner as “The Original Sinner,” with a campaign built around a biblical wink and a tennis ball disguised as forbidden fruit. It was playful, self-aware, and a departure from the carefully controlled image that has long defined one of tennis’s most private stars. “It was one of my favorite campaigns—you don’t have to take yourself too seriously,” Sinner told Vogue.

Now, as Wimbledon approaches, Gucci is getting in on another joke with the world No. 1. Its latest campaign, “Made In Italy,” places Sinner—dressed in sharp white tailoring and matching loafers—at the center of the Italian flag. The imagery is a nod not only to his status as one of Italy’s most recognizable athletes, but also to the questions of identity that have followed him throughout his rise. Raised in South Tyrol, the mountainous region near Italy’s border with Austria, Sinner has often found himself at odds with stereotypical ideas of what an Italian should look, sound, or act like. With his red curls, pale complexion, and reserved demeanor, he bears little resemblance to the cinematic clichés of Italianness that have long dominated popular culture. The campaign cleverly turns that tension on its head, celebrating a version of Italian identity that is far more nuanced, with room for a soft-spoken skier from the Alps.

The rollout will be hard to miss as Sinner returns to Wimbledon to defend his title. Gucci is taking over London’s Piccadilly Circus, covering street furniture across the city, and transforming the façade of its New Bond Street flagship into a tribute to its longtime ambassador. It comes at an intriguing moment in his season. After an abbreviated Roland-Garros campaign, Sinner has spent more time away from competition than he typically would before the start of the grass-court swing, leaving questions about how he’s feeling physically heading into Wimbledon.

Here, Sinner checks in with Vogue about his health, the challenge of defending his Wimbledon crown, and what it means to represent Italy despite defying many of its most familiar clichés.

Vogue: The recent Gucci campaigns have been quite playful. This one plays with the idea of what it means to be Italian, a theme which has followed you throughout your career. So what does being Italian mean to you?

Jannik Sinner: I’m very proud to be Italian. I’ve always felt lucky about being born in such a beautiful country. I grew up in the mountains, but I also love the lakes, the sea, the islands, and the picturesque cities we have. Sports are very important in our culture and I always enjoy the enthusiasm of the Italian people whenever I play at home.

You’ve spoken about growing up in South Tyrol, which is quite different from the version of Italy some people picture. How did growing up in that region shape who you are today?

It’s a very simple lifestyle. There are so many small towns and we’re surrounded by a lot of nature. Everyone has the same friends, and when something happens, everyone in the area knows about it [laughs]. I’m very happy to still have my best group of friends there. I know now, from all my traveling, how different life is in big cities, but I’m very happy to have grown up where I did, because I had a lot of freedom, a lot of time outside, and a lot of security. We could go to school by ourselves, and then after we’d all change and do our different sports—it was a very active place. It was an amazing childhood and every time I come back to see my parents and friends, it’s a great feeling.

Do you have a preference now between city life or country living?

I think it’s more about balance. I’m obviously traveling quite a lot, so I’m very happy when I’m back home in Monaco, where I live now. But whenever I have time, I want to go home, because my grandparents are both alive and it’s very important for me to spend as much time as I can with them. Since I was 13, I’ve always been far away from home, so whenever I get the opportunity to go back, I like to take it. But it’s all about how I feel in the moment. These days I’m more and more interested in being in calm places—I feel more comfortable there than in busy environments.

That makes sense. So, you’ve had some extra time away from playing since Roland-Garros [where Sinner was shocked in the second round by Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundulo]. What have you gotten up to during this break?

I took one week off and spent some time with my friends and family, which was really important for me. And then after that, we went straight back to practice, because now there’s a big run coming up—Wimbledon, of course, but we also did a lot of work for the US swing that comes after. We don’t have a lot of time to practice for that usually. I’m always trying to see the positives in situations, and the positive part of going out early of Roland-Garros—even though I would have of course liked to go deeper—is getting some extra time. We try to maximize every day, so there have been a lot of long practice sessions, and I’m very happy with the shape and mental state I’m in right now.

I know there were some concerns about your health following Roland-Garros. How are you feeling physically going into the tournament?

I feel good. We did a lot of work these past few weeks, so physically I’m in a very good place. I’ve played a lot over the last few months, so a good training block was very much needed for my body to get stronger again, and I’ve recovered well. But the most important thing for me is to be in a good spot mentally, and I’m very happy to be here in London. Hopefully I can compete in the best possible way.

You and Carlos Alcaraz have spent the last few years pushing each other, trading big titles, and shaping this new era of men’s tennis together. With him missing Roland-Garros and now Wimbledon [Alcaraz has been sidelined with a right wrist injury], how has it felt to not have your greatest rival there?

As I’ve said many times before, tennis needs Carlos. I wish him a speedy recovery and I know that he has a great team around him that will be supportive and help him on the way back.

So you’re returning to Wimbledon as the defending champion. Does that change anything for you mentally, or do you approach it the same as every other tournament?

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. At the moment, we’re just trying to get a good rhythm on grass, and then we’ll see how the tournament goes.

You’ve said Wimbledon was a tournament you dreamed about as a kid. What makes it feel different from the other Grand Slams?

Yeah, you really feel the history and prestige of playing here. Everything around the tournament feels different compared to other events and it’s the only big event we have on this surface. So it’s very nice to be back here and share this moment with my team. My family is not here yet—maybe they’ll come if I go far in the tournament, but we’ll see.

How does your family decide whether or not they’re going to come? Do you have any superstitions about them being there too early?

No, I don’t. I think they just leave me alone with what I need to do. I have my job, and they have their jobs, you know. I know what’s best for me and what I need to do. They know tennis, of course, but not as much as I do because they’ve never played [laughs]. This is also just how we are as a family. We like to support each other, but we also give each other space. And when we’re at home, we never mention tennis—we always talk about different things.

So when you’re in London, you’re obviously super focused on training, but is there anything that you like to do in your downtime? I know in the past you’ve talked about setting alarms during tournaments to watch Formula 1.

When I’m here the schedule is very much: tennis, come back to the house, sleep, repeat. But I think it’s very important to switch off the mind, so when I have time I will go play some golf, build some Legos, or watch Formula 1. Football is also on now with the World Cup, so I’ll follow that. Tennis is important, of course, but so is taking your mind off it.

Coming back to Gucci, you’ve been with the brand for five years now, which in many ways overlaps with your rise on tour and your transition into adulthood. How has your relationship with fashion and your personal style evolved during that time?

I’ve learned a lot about fashion during the last five years. I understand the fashion world better now and how much work is behind it. Of course, my style has changed a bit throughout, and I’ve been very lucky to wear a lot of nice looks. I would say my style is very simple and elegant. I prefer darker colors and like to look relaxed—I’m not going to put the biggest Gucci logo on, you know? But they have worked with me for so long and know what I like, so they give me suggestions, and it’s been a great collaboration.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.