Sebastian Ofner will face the biggest test of his career on Saturday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where he takes on World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Ahead of the clash, ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the Austrian.
Football or tennis? Ofner chose wisely
Ofner grew up in Styria, a southeastern region of Austria, and originally split his time between football and tennis. By age 10, he had to choose one sport to pursue seriously.
“I also played football and it was the decision between whether I should stay in tennis or football,” Ofner told ATPTour.com previously. “I decided on tennis when I was 10 and I think it was a good decision.”
From injuries to the Top 40
Twelve months before his rise into the World’s Top 40 in 2024, Ofner was outside the Top 200 in the PIF ATP Rankings and rebuilding after years of injury setbacks. The Austrian earned his first ATP Ranking point at the age of 17 in July 2013, broke into the Top 200 in 2017, cracked the Top 100 in June 2023 and reached a career-high No. 37 in January 2024 after advancing to his third ATP Tour semi-final at the time in Hong Kong.
Ofner’s breakthrough came after a difficult stretch physically. Injuries repeatedly stalled his progress, and he even spent much of 2022 competing through pain while taking painkillers before undergoing surgery on his left heel. Once healthy, the Austrian finally found consistency, climbing more than 100 spots.
Roland Garros sparked belief
The biggest moment of Ofner’s career to date came at Roland Garros in 2023, when he charged from qualifying to the fourth round, still the best major result of his career. That run helped him break into the Top 100 and gave him confidence he could compete regularly at the highest level.
“Paris was the absolute highlight, from qualifying to the fourth round,” Ofner told ATPTour.com in a previous interview. “Then you start getting a little bit more confident. You're going on the court and you're not that afraid anymore if you play against better players.”
Ofner's previous history with Sinner
The 29-year-old may not have faced Sinner at tour-level before, but the two did meet at an ATP Challenger event in Italy in 2019 when the Italian was still a teenager.
Sinner won on that occasion but Ofner enters this meeting in confident mood. The Austrian, currently No. 82 in the PIF ATP Rankings, earned a main draw win at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid last month and then defeated Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-3 in his Rome opener. Ofner will be seeking his first Top 10 win when he walks onto Campo Centrale on Saturday (0-12).
Gaming, dolphins & life away from tennis
Away from the court, Ofner describes himself as relaxed and funny. He enjoys spending time with friends whenever he is home from the Tour and is a big fan of Call of Duty.
“What I really like to do is play video games,” Ofner told ATPTour.com previously. “When I'm at home, I have a couple of friends and with them, I play a lot.”
He also embraced his adventurous side during a trip to Egypt in 2023, when he went swimming with dolphins.
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