Jannik Sinner, a surprise dinner with a former Juventus player

A former Juventus player, who came up through the club’s youth system, met with world No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner, who was forced to withdraw from the Cincinnati tournament due to an injury to his right knee. The photo, posted on social media in the last few hours, immediately caught the attention of fans—both current supporters and those who still remember his long journey in Turin.

The player in question is Nikola Sekulov, a playmaker born in 2002 who joined Juventus in 2016 and progressed through all the youth academy levels up to the Next Gen team. With 103 appearances, he is the third-most capped player in the history of Juventus’ Under-23 team, behind Cudrig and Guerra. His journey also led him to make his first-team debut on March 30, 2024, at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico against Lazio, just over a year after his first call-up on March 19, 2023.

After his time at Juventus, Sekulov spent two loan spells, first at Cremonese and then at Sampdoria, the club to which he subsequently transferred on a permanent basis. Last season, however, he played on loan at Carrarese.

In recent hours, the former Juventus player shared a photo on Instagram taken at a restaurant with Sinner. “A special evening, and even better company. I’m honored,” Sekulov wrote in the caption. Among the many comments was an ironic one from Nicolò Pirlo, Andrea’s son: “Mamma mia… what a tennis player on the left.”