Jannik Sinner, two days away from debut in Rome is already a crowd bath

Jannik Sinner will not make his debut at the 2026 Internazionali d’Italia until next Saturday, May 9, when he is scheduled to play against the winner of the Sebastian Ofner vs. Alex Michelsen confrontation. Yet the Foro Italico gave him his first Capitol crowd bath as early as Thursday, May 7, when the ATP number 1 ranking player indulged in a public practice session that – inevitably – attracted a huge crowd of onlookers.

After all, Sinner had announced an official practice session at the Foro Italico for Thursday at 5 p.m., which punctually occurred on court 14. Here the South Tyrolean trained for about an hour and a half in front of an army of fans who overwhelmed him with their enthusiasm. It should be noted that the same court had hosted around noon two other Italian protagonists of the Internazionali di Roma: Lorenzo Musetti and Luciano Darderi, who moreover practiced against each other giving the audience some interesting exchanges.

The session on court 14 was also an opportunity for Sinner to start adapting to the characteristics of the Roman clay, notoriously slower and wetter than the Madrid one where he won his fifth consecutive Masters 1000. This is anything but secondary, considering that the time available to find the right feeling with the Capitoline surface is short, and that it is precisely the first rounds that could hide the biggest pitfalls.

In the afternoon, Sinner then appeared in the press conference, where he wanted to calmly but just as firmly reject the label of “robotic” player that is sometimes stitched on him. “Of course I’m having fun,” he said, smiling, “but I’m also doing everything I can to become the best tennis player I can be for myself. The sacrifices are many, every day I choose to be a little stronger than the previous one: this has always been my mentality, the way I set my life. Then it’s clear that there are times when I take my space and do what I like, because in the end you only live once: I’m 24 years old and it’s also right to have fun.” And on the days leading up to practice, he added, “Maybe I show it a little less, but you don’t really know what I’m like off the course. In these two days I played golf and soccer, that’s my fun. The main goal, however, was to rest.”

In the press conference, Sinner also talked about the tournament’s big absentee, Carlos Alcaraz, who was forced to stop due to a wrist problem and also out of Roland Garros: “Carlos has extraordinary qualities, characteristics that no one else has today. I, on the other hand, am a very consistent player: I try to stay mentally present on every point and always give my best. Being number one, two or three changes little, because every game is its own story.” On the Spaniard’s absence, he kept a realistic approach: “Carlos has been unlucky: if he were here, the situation would be different. I am happy with what I am doing, but I look ahead. There is another tournament to play and we start from scratch.”

The day at the Foro Italico, however, also held a bitter note for Italian fans. Matteo Berrettini, who could have crossed Sinner in the third round giving a highly anticipated tricolor derby, was eliminated in the first round by Australian Alexei Popyrin with a clear 6-2, 6-3. The Roman appeared late in his condition, struggling with his moves and serve, also committing 22 free errors. A knockout that stings, considering the great anticipation that surrounded the possible confrontation between the two friends and compatriots.

In the background, there remains the extraordinary record hunt that accompanies Sinner in this Roman week. The world number 1 currently boasts 28 consecutive Masters 1000 victories: with four wins at the Foro Italico he would surpass Novak Djokovic’s all-time record of 31. A real prospect, according to former U.S. tennis player Sam Querrey, who stated bluntly in his podcast, “Sinner will surpass Djokovic’s record. He needs four wins in Rome. He is by far the best player in the world. Without Alcaraz, who should beat him? I don’t see anyone capable of stopping him.”