Jannik Sinner made an eagerly awaited comeback to tennis in Rome, quickly showcasing why he holds the world number one ranking.
The three-time Major champion returned from a three-month hiatus at the Italian Open, achieving several impressive victories.
Sinner secured wins against Mariano Navone, Jesper De Jong, and Francisco Cerundolo, but it was in the quarterfinals that he delivered one of his best performances to date.
Displaying no signs of rust, Sinner overwhelmed Casper Ruud in a stunning 6-0, 6-1 match at Stadio Centrale, advancing to the semi-finals, where he triumphed over Tommy Paul in three sets.
Winning a title in his first tournament back would have been a fairytale ending, but that was not meant to be as Sinner fell to Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 6-7, 1-6.
Nicola Pietrangeli Comments on Sinner’s Performance
During an appearance on the Italian radio show Rai 3, two-time French Open champion Nicola Pietrangeli shared his thoughts on Sinner’s showing in Rome.
“Losing a final to Alcaraz isn’t a disaster,” Pietrangeli said. “Training is different from match play, and it’s not as if he lost in the first round but rather pushed to the final, having played a perfect first set where he held two set points.”
“The three-month absence from competitive matches certainly affected him, but that’s to be expected. Losing against a player of similar caliber is acceptable.”
Sinner Aims for French Open Glory
Since the French Open became a Grand Slam tournament in 1946, only two Italian men have claimed the title:
- 1959 French Open – Nicola Pietrangeli
- 1960 French Open – Nicola Pietrangeli
- 1976 French Open – Adriano Panatta
Sixty-six years ago, Pietrangeli made history as Italy’s first Major titleholder, winning in Paris while losing only two sets throughout the tournament.
Pietrangeli defended his title in 1960 and reached two further finals (1961 and 1964) but did not win. After a lengthy 16-year wait, Adriano Panatta provided Italy with its third title at Roland Garros in 1976. Many hope Sinner can end the nearly 50-year drought as he heads to Paris as the top seed.
Fans anticipate a potential rematch between Sinner and Alcaraz in the finals. Still, Sinner must first set his sights on his opening match against home favorite Arthur Rinderknech when the tournament kicks off on Sunday, May 25.
