Sinner’s Return To ATP Tour Is The Talk All Over Rome

Jannik Sinner, Rome
Jannik Sinner (photo: Giampiero Sposito/FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 7, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is back, and rarely has an athlete from any sport – let alone tennis – been greeted with such great fanfare and adulation.

In Rome, the top-ranked Sinner drew nearly 5,000 fans for his first practice session at Foro Italico on Monday, when his three-month banishment from the ATP Tour ended. His workout with World No. 38 Jiri Lehecka of Czechia was shown live on local TV and it followed a ceremony to honor the 2024 Italian Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams, which swept their respective competitions and came home to Italy as champions.

This year’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia – the Italian Open, if you will – which began Wednesday across Foro Italico and continues through May 18, is the first time Italy has boasted a No. 1-ranked player for its home tournament.

“I’m very happy to be back here, it’s been three very long months,” Sinner said at the outset of his pre-tournament news conference on Monday, in which he took questions from reporters in both English and Italian. “I got to share some great moments with my family with my friends. We were practicing very hard, especially in the gym in the beginning, coming back to court again.”

When a relaxed and smiling Sinner was asked about why he attracts so much attention, he was at a loss of words to find an explanation. “I don’t know,” he said. “Honestly, I think I’m a simple 23-year-old kid. I’m good at playing tennis, but I’m not changing the world. I always remember that I come from a small town [of] 2,000 people. Being here in Rome and playing in front of so many people is a big deal.”

Down the road from Foro Italico sits Vatican City, and today a conclave to elect a new pope has begun. So, there’s plenty of attention and headlines being made in Rome, between Sinner and tennis, and the assembly of Roman Catholic cardinals in the Sistine Chapel for the election of a new pope. In fact, one local Rome newspaper this week went so far as to splash the headline: “Habemus Sinner” – a variation of the Latin words “Habemus Papam!” that are announced from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica when a new pope is chosen.

Now that Sinner has returned – still ranked No. 1, as neither Alexander Zverev nor Carlos Alcaraz was able to overtake him in the ATP Rankings during his absence – it will be interesting to see if his sabbatical has given him a new perspective on being No. 1 and his role as an ambassador for tennis, both at home in Italy and abroad.

“I realized I have a lot of eyes on me even when I am not playing tennis,” said, the 6-foot-3-inch, 170-pound South Tyrolean with a head full of red hair. “Sometimes even a photo can be interpreted differently from reality, but I have learned from this. I think we managed this long stretch of time well, even if it was not easy.”

Contrary to rumors, Sinner said he’s not in a relationship at the moment – “all is good” – and that could spell trouble for the rest of the men’s 96-player draw, which began play on Wednesday. As top seed among the 32 seeded players, Sinner has received a first-round bye and will play his opening match Saturday on Campo Centrale against either No. 99 Mariano Navone of Argentina or 323rd-ranked #NextGenATP wild card Federico Cina of Italy, who won a round in the main draw at Madrid before losing to American Sebastian Korda in the second round.

Sinner, who missed last year’s Italian Open with a hip injury, was asked what it will feel like being the first World No. 1 from Italy to play in Rome. He replied, “The first point of my first match back? The most beautiful thing will be stepping back on court, seeing all the fans, a lot of people.

After winning the Australian Open to start the 2025 season, with victories over Nicolas Jarry, Tristan Schoolkate, Marcos Giron, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev, Sinner soon found himself shut down, when his three-month period of ineligibility from competing on the ATP Tour in a case resolution agreement with WADA took effect. Suddenly, not only would he not be back to defend his title in Rotterdam, Sinner would also miss playing at Indian Wells and defending his Miami Open title during the March U.S. hard court swing. Plus, he would be sidelined from the start of the spring European clay-court swing in Monte-Carlo and Madrid, too. That’s an ATP 500-series and four ATP Masters 1000 events that Sinner missed – not to mention the ranking points he was unable to defend.

“At the beginning, I was a little confused. I have always had a tough schedule, and suddenly I didn’t,” said Sinner, who will begin the Roman fortnight with a 7-0 win-loss record for 2025. “In these moments, my family was very important. I stayed with them and figured out what really matters for me. I know all the sacrifices I have made, and it is the people outside of the court who give you the strength to keep smiling.”

For now, with Rome in focus and Roland-Garros looming in the not-too-distant future, Sinner – always a grounded individual in good times and bad times – wants to approach his return to the ATP Tour one step at a time, starting with Rome. The Italian Open is the last of three ATP Masters 1000 events on clay leading up to the French Open.

“It’s a very, very low expectation tournament in general for me,” said Sinner, who is 9-5 lifetime in Rome but has never advanced past the quarterfinal round. “For me, what’s missing is the complete feedback of where my level is. That’s going to come slowly with time. After the first round match, I’m going to have a better picture of myself, where I am at.

“It’s very strange feeling again in the beginning to be around so many people and attention. But it’s nice to be back, me and my team are very happy.”

Not since 1976, when Adriano Panatta won, has there been an Italian men’s singles champion in Rome. So, imagine what kind of celebration there will be if Sinner wins this year’s crown.

Around Foro Italico

The Internazionali BNL d’Italia, which dates back to 1930 and is celebrating its 53rd edition in the Open Era this year, is one of three ATP Masters 1000 events contested on clay. As the 2025 edition of the Italian Open got underway on Wednesday under cloudy skies, which produced an hour-long rain delay early in the afternoon before turning to sunshine later on – and with everyone’s eyes on the grand prize of 1,000 ATP ranking points and 985,030 euros in prize money – play was spread out over eight courts, including the main venue Campo Centrale, Grand Stand Arena, Pietrangeli and the brand-new Supertennis Arena.

Defending champion Alexander Zverev of Germany is seeded second this year, After a first-round bye, he will begin his title defense on Friday against No. 60 Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina, who knocked off 98th-ranked lucky loser Pablo Carreño Busta of Spain, 6-2, 1-6,  6-3, in two hours and six minutes on Pietrangeli Wednesday afternoon. Ugo Carabelli struck 32 winners to 31 unforced errors, converted four of 11 break points and outpointed Carreño Busta 77-76.

With 16 first-round ATP matches on the order of play, all featuring unseeded players from the bottom half of the draw, among the highlights were:

• No. 39 Alexandre Muller of France, who is playing at a career-high ranking, fought past No. 38 Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), in two hours and 36 minutes – enduring an hour-long rain delay – in back of 20 winners despite committing 39 unforced errors and being outpointed 105-102 on Grand Stand Arena. Serving at 4-5 in the third set, Muller saved a pair of match points during a 10-point 10th game and went on to earn the victory during the decisive tie-break.

“It was not easy. Jiri is a very good player. I knew it was going to be a great match and great fight,” said Muller, who collected his 15th victory of the season. A titlist at Hong Kong, he said he tried to fight on every point. “Today, it could have been for him, but it was for me. I’m the lucky one, so I’m happy.”

Next, Muller will face No. 18 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece on Friday.

• No. 35 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands defeated No. 47 Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, on Campo Centrale, for his 18th win of the season in back of 42 winners – including 16 aces – and five breaks of his opponent’s serve. He outpointed Kecmanovic 86-58.

• No. 41 Jordan Thompson of Australia won 74 percent of his service points en route to a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over No. 36 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France on Supertennis Arena. Thompson withstood 13 aces from his opponent and beat him for the fifth time in five meetings.

• No. 63 Francisco Comesana of Argentina defeated No. 71 Daniel Altmaeier of Germany, 6-1, 7-5, behind 23 winners and five breaks of his opponent’s serve on Court 14.

• No. 83 Corentin Moutet of France hit 36 winners, saved nine of 12 break points and defeated No. 82 Ricky Hijikata of Australia, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, on Court 1.

• Qualifier Carlos Taberner of Spain, ranked 139th, upset No. 80 Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, on Court 2. He took advantage of 49 unforced errors by the American and converted four of eight break points.

• In one of the biggest upsets of the day, 135th-ranked Argentine qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga defeated No. 44 Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, 6-2, 6-3, in an hour and 32 minutes on Campo Centrale. Burruchaga hit 11 winners and took advantage of 37 unforced errors by Sonego, who was outpointed 65-50.

Wednesday’s Rome results

Thursday’s Rome order of play

By the numbers

• A total of 13 Italian men are part of the 96-player main singles draw. By comparison, there are 12 from the United States, eight from France and Spain, and seven from Argentina.

• With Novak Djokovic not entered in this year’s tournament, the players with the most ATP Masters 1000 titles in this year’s draw are: Alexander Zverev with seven and Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev with six.

• Zizou Bergs of Belgium (right shoulder), Benjamin Bonzi of France (abdominals) and Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany (right leg) have withdrawn from the main draw. They have been replaced by lucky losers Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, Pablo Carreño Busta of Spain and Jesper de Jong of the Netherlands.

“Quotable …”

“Tennis is a very individual sport. Each player has their team and a lot of things to look after. I chatted a bit with Jack Draper, Sonny (Lorenzo Sonego), and a few more. Some messages I got from players surprised me positively. On the opposite, I was surprised by some that never came … but I think in time all will be well.”

– World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, during his pre-tournament news conference Monday.

 

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