Sinner returns with rock-solid display in Rome

Jannik Sinner is back to business on home soil at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings settled quickly on Saturday in his first match for more than three months, producing an all-around impressive second-round display to defeat Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4. Sinner let slip a break lead in the second set but responded quickly to earn a one-hour, 38-minute victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Sinner. “I waited quite long for this moment. I’m very happy to be back. It’s very difficult to have the right feedback when you don’t have any matches, and that’s exactly what I need. Now I think the best practice is the match itself, so I’m very happy about that.

“I’m very happy about the win today. It was very difficult. He is such a great player, especially on this surface. I tried to move around the ball. At times it went very well, at times it could have been better, yes, but in any case, it doesn’t matter about the result today. It has been a remarkable day for me, so I’m very happy.”

SINNER SHINES AT HOME 💫 🇮🇹 💫

He moves through with a 6-3 6-4 win over Navone 🔥@InteBNLdItalia | #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/kd6pkobIxb

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 10, 2025

Sinner showed little visible extra emotion on court while completing his first victory since he lifted the Australian Open title. Instead, he picked up where he left off in Melbourne with a typically business-like display, during which his ballstriking power eventually overwhelmed the spirited Navone. With his win against the Argentine, the 23-year-old Sinner extended his tour-level winning streak to 22 matches dating back to last October.

“I was surprised how things can [feel good] so quickly. I tried to give everything I have. I think that’s the only thing I can do and that’s the only thing I can control right now,” said Sinner, when asked how happy he was with his game. “The sensation felt quite good, to be honest. Of course, there were some ups and downs, that is normal, but he played some great tennis, especially when he broke me in the second set. I tried to accept that and tried to work again. Now I have some good feedback, and hopefully I can work with that.”

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By defeating the World No. 99 Navone, Sinner improved to 60-0 against players outside the Top 20 since the start of the 2023 US Open. The 23-year-old will attempt to make that 61-0 in his third-round match when he takes on lucky loser Jesper de Jong, who raced past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-0, 6-2 earlier on Saturday. Sinner defeated De Jong in straight sets in the pair's only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting at the 2024 Australian Open.

Sinner took a few games to find his rhythm in his first tour-level match against Navone and the home favourite was forced to save a break point to hold serve from 30/40 for 2-1. As the home crowd sensed their hero was feeling his way into the match, Sinner duly calmed any early nerves inside Campo Centrale by promptly breaking Navone’s serve for 3-1.

After taking the first set without any further scares on serve, Sinner was soon on the path to victory after he again broke through on return in the seventh game of the second set. Yet Navone, one of the ATP Tour’s great clay-court scrappers, ensured his higher-ranked opponent had one more test to pass.

The Argentine capitalised on some forehand errors from his opponent to earn his first break of serve in the match for 4-4. Sinner’s response was swift, however, and the Italian immediately reeled off the two games he needed to complete his win.

Sinner struck the ball typically cleanly off both wings, but it was perhaps the way he moved around the court after three months without a competitive match that will please the Italian most. He was sharp moving side to side during extended baseline exchanges and was also quick to approach the net.

Sinner’s fellow Top-10 star Alex de Minaur also booked his third-round spot with a confident second-round display. The Australian downed home wild card Luca Nardi 6-4, 7-5 to record his 25th tour-level win of the season.

Next up for De Minaur in Rome is a clash with Hugo Dellien. The Bolivian only made it into the main draw on Saturday lunchtime after Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew due to a lower back injury, and Dellien took full advantage of his opportunity by defeating Thiago Seyboth Wild 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.