Jannik Sinner’s rapid rise has forced a transition of the word ‘Renaissance’ to ‘Tennaissance’ in Italy! According to various reports, the percentage of Italian following tennis has surged by 39%, nearly doubling since 2016. La Gazzetta dello Sport says the children’s tennis club enrolments have risen by 30% in 2024 alone. Moreover, the total number of tennis players that were registered in clubs was 129,000 in 2001, but now the registrations have surpassed a million. Reason? Well, the Palermo tennis club president, Giorgio Lo Cascio, says it’s the “Sinner effect.” The 23-year-old tennis star has not only won three Grand Slam titles, but he’s also the first Italian to become the world number one. He’s now the most popular sportsman in Italy. Almost 5,000 fans attended his first practice session at the Italian Open on Monday. Sinner will be returning to the Tour after serving a three-month ban due to the doping incident. But before stepping onto the court in Rome, the world number one added yet another feather to his cap!

If we take a look at his performances before this suspension, Jannik Sinner not only ended the 2024 season as the world number one but he also won 8 ATP titles  (including 2 Grand Slam triumphs) in that season. Other than that, he also matches a personal and national record, surpassing 50 victories for the second string year and reaching 70 for the very first time. Even in 2025, he has a win-loss record of 7-0 with his only title triumph coming at the AO. Owing to this massive success, he and his coach Simone Vagnozzi recently received Italy’s highest sporting honor.

Vagnozzi has been working with Sinner since 2022, and during this span, he has not only helped him win three major titles but also helped him clinch the ATP Finals title last year. Owing to their invaluable contributions in putting Italy on the map of the tennis world, Jannik Sinner received the Collar d’Oro, Italy’s highest sporting honor, and his coach, Simone Vagnozzi, was awarded the Palma d’Oro for his massive success in the coaching field. 

Talking about the rise of Sinner and the golden era of Italian tennis, fellow ATP star, Matteo Berrettini, once said, “I think all the Italians are proud of what we’re doing. Obviously, now Jannik is doing things that are unbelievable, but also the other guys are doing [well]. Musetti was in the final at Queen’s… If you think about other sports in the past, there were some golden eras.” How does Sinner feel to be a part of this era? 

“I’m happy to be part of this Italian movement. People start to play tennis now more and more, which is great to see. I think that’s the most important,” Jannik Sinner. Amidst all these, Sinner is all set to start his campaign at the Italian Open against Argentina’s Mariano Navone. What is the tennis world saying about his comeback to the Tour, though?

Carlos Alcaraz shares his thoughts on having Jannik Sinner back on the Tour

This will be Jannik Sinner’s sixth appearance at the Italian Open, having made his debut here as a wildcard entrant in 2019. He had to miss this tournament last year due to an injury, but can he get back on the winning track after being on the sidelines for three months? If we look at his record on clay, Sinner has played 76 top-level matches on this surface with a win-loss record of 54-22. His only title triumph on this surface came in Umag in 2022, but after that, he failed to reach another final.

Talking about his return to the Tour, several players like Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz shared their reactions on having him back. For example, Ruud said, “I realize that it’s been a tough moment for him, but I’m happy to see him back, and, you know, he hasn’t been dealing with injury. So, I hope he can play well. There is a high chance he will come out playing really well from the beginning. I hope he will get a good tournament here in Rome.” On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz said, “As I said, yes, it’s great for me, for tennis, for the fans to have him around again, for him to be able to play a tournament again. We’re not on the same side of the draw. I hope I meet him in the final. But what I want to say is, I’m very happy to see him again, and his team.”

Players like Holger Rune and Jack Draper got the chance to train with the world number one during these last few months. Both of them are quite optimistic with Jannik Sinner getting back to his old form with every match, but according to American tennis legend, Andy Roddick, Siner is going to produce a subpar performance at the 2025 Italian Open.

In a recent conversation, Roddick stated, “You know, first rounds are always difficult, even if you’ve been playing regularly. It’s not going to be perfect from the word go, and if it is the first round, then it’s going to be a tough moment in the second round where it’s not like riding a bike for the first time in a long time, but I don’t know that it’s the expectation level that drops for anyone else. I just think there are more questions than there have been, surrounding him.“

Talking about expectations, even Sinner himself had admitted that his expectations are pretty “low” in this tournament. But with the massive home support, do you think he can gift some magical moments to the Italian crowd in Rome?