Jannik Sinner is the darling of the masses in Rome. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

All of Italy is longing for a Sinner victory

Jannik Sinner has been in Rome for a few days to prepare for the Masters tournament there. And it quickly became clear: the Sesto native is the great hope of the tennis Tifosi in the Italian capital.

11 May 2023

From: dl

Sinner is currently number 8 in the world and the best tennis player from Italy. His style of play is admired all over the world, especially in the Boot State.

In Rome, Sinner is the ultimate crowd puller - this was already clear during the training sessions beforehand. Local hero Matteo Berrettini is also injured. “It's a big advantage to have the audience behind you. Rome is a special tournament. I feel the closeness of the fans and that motivates me even more,” explained Sinner at the final press conference before his Opening match on Friday against Thanasi Kokkinakis (ATP 104). This takes place on Friday from 11 a.m.

The last and only Azzurro to win the Internazionali d'Italia was the legendary Adriano Panatta in 1976 - 45 years ago. There is therefore great hope that Sinner can end this long dry spell.

“I know I have a chance to win.” Jannik Sinner

The South Tyrolean has already proven at this year's Masters (two semi-finals, one final) that he is not far away from his first major title. “I know I have a chance to win. But I generally don't like comparisons with other players. Many Italian players have achieved great things before me. “I’m still young and still have a lot of work ahead of me,” said Sinner, as usual modestly.

Jannik Sinner trained with Novak Djokovic (l.) in Rome this week © ANSA / ETTORE FERRARI

In a possible semi-final, the 21-year-old could be ranked number 1 in the world. Meet Novak Djokovic. “He’s here preparing for the French Open. If Novak survives the first rounds, he is the big contender for victory,” said Sinner about the Serb. Sinner said the following about high-flyer Carlos Alcaraz, who could wait in a possible final: “Carlos comes to Rome with a lot of self-confidence. You always have to have it on your bill anyway.”