Jannik Sinner insists that there will be positives for him when he exits the Italian Masters, regardless of whether he claims the title or not.
The world No.1 has dropped just nine games in his first two matches played at his home Masters event in Rome. Sinner is currently on a 30-match winning streak at Masters 1000 events after capturing titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid. Should he continue his winning run at his home tournament and claim the title, the 24-year-old will become only the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 events at least once after Novak Djokovic.
Furthermore, Sinner is bidding to become the first home player to win the men’s title for 50 years in Rome. The last to do so was Adriano Panatta in 1976, who is the only Italian male player to win Rome in the Open Era.
“It’s a tournament I haven’t won, it’s a very prestigious tournament being Italian and I’m extremely happy to play here. I just try to do my best at the same time,” Sinner told The Tennis Channel.
“In any case, for me it’s a win-win situation at the moment, if I go on it’s great. If I lose, it’s also great because I have a little bit more time to recover for Roland-Garros, so I’m a little bit more relaxed.”
As the leader in the surge of Italian tennis, Sinner’s popularity is highlighted at his home event with a packed crowd cheering him on during both matches and when he walks around the venue.
“I always think back to where I come from. I come from a very, very small town. Under the bridge (he walks over at the Italian Open), there are more people there than people actually living in the town where I am from, so it’s great,” Sinner commented.
“It’s not only me. We are an amazing group (of Italian players) and we try to give something positive back.
“I think the tennis in Italy is growing, and I think we can feel it, the passion the Italians have. We just try to keep going.
“It’s a great feeling, they give you amazing support when things go well and also when things don’t go well, they always keep proving why they are your fans. I’m really happy to be part of this movement.”
Sinner’s next test will be an all-Italian clash with qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, who pulled off a shock win over Francis Tiafoe in his previous match. He has never been beaten by a fellow Italian on the ATP Tour so far in his career, winning all 18 of his previous meetings.
