Everything Jannik Sinner said after making winning return to action at the Italian Open

Jannik Sinner spoke candidly about the doubts he is experiencing after making a triumphant return to the tour at the 2025 Italian Open.

The world No 1 overcame 99th-ranked Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome.

Sinner was playing his first match since winning the Australian Open final in January to claim his third Grand Slam title.

The Italian was sidelined from competing due to a three-month ban for two positive doping tests in March 2024.

By beating Navone, Sinner extended his winning streak to 22 consecutive matches, with his last defeat coming against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 China Open final in October.

The 23-year-old is the youngest player to win this many successive matches on the ATP Tour since Juan Martin del Potro — who amassed a 23-match winning streak in 2008.

Here is every word from Sinner’s press conference after his successful comeback.

Q. Jannik, well done. Welcome back. Where does it rank in terms of a reception by a crowd anywhere in the world?

SINNER: Well, it’s for sure on the top spot, no? It has been amazing to go again on court after such a long time, having a great support also in the last days. From the first day I came here, it has been amazing. Yeah, I was waiting for this moment quite a long time. Really it doesn’t matter as much as all the rest matters. So I’m very happy about today. Obviously happy to play at least one more match here, then we see how it goes.

Q. You said a few times this week that you’re coming here without high expectations, given that you haven’t played for so long. Is that enjoyable in any way? Normally being No 1, you have high expectations. Here, being able to play day by day…

SINNER: For sure it’s different, no? I feel like we prepared ourself in the best possible way. Of course, I was missing the feedback of official matches, which are the best feedbacks we players can get. At least now I have a bigger picture of what I’m doing well and what I have to improve. Of course, the nerves and everything, it has to go again into my body, trying to understand what we can do better the next round. But yeah, hopefully I can play here one or two matches more to see where I am at, which would be my main goal. Then all the rest is just a positive, no? Yeah, it was a great start from my point of view of this tournament and of the comeback. Let’s see what’s coming.

Q. Can you describe the difference between playing these practice games and sets this week and then the level of intensity that you felt tonight? Was there a moment where you really felt the butterflies in your stomach, whatever it is you feel when things get tense, that you haven’t felt the last couple months?

SINNER: Everything. Look, the whole match, even when it seems quite comfortable, it’s a roller coaster, no? Especially inside we feel that. I would say especially beginning of the match having, again, the nerves of serving for the first time, trying to move in the best possible way you can. Yeah, that’s it. It’s different. Practice, you play just more freely, you don’t care as much when you lose a point. I’m very competitive, so I love the official match. I love the competition. That’s what I was looking for, no? Today, I felt quite good on court. I’m happy about that. Yeah, so hopefully of course we are aiming for small improvements which are the small details what can make the difference. Tomorrow I have one day off, and hopefully we can use it in the best way.

Q. Can you talk a bit about your feelings and emotions across the whole week from when you arrived on-site. How much does it mean to you, the reaction you’ve had from the fans all week?

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SINNER: Yeah, that means much more than any result, to be honest. It has been an amazing feeling to come here starting from the first practices with other players. We aimed and had a good schedule also with other players, so it was nothing like this. We tried to figure out what’s the best way to get into rhythm. And yeah, we are trying to aim to get better every day after day. Match days are different. It has been until now amazing for me. Yeah, it’s not only me. There are so many other Italians playing here, which makes the whole package even bigger. [Lorenzo] Musetti, first time top 10 playing here, and many other Italians, no? Matteo [Berrettini] is from here. It’s amazing, the Italian tennis, what we have right now.

Q. I have a question from a very important subject in Italy, which is fashion. You’re the world No 1 coming from Italy, the country of colour. Lately you’ve done hundreds of various advertisements and commercials, yet you choose monochrome as your styling to appear on the tennis court.

SINNER: What I choose?

Q. Monochrome, one colour, more or less. Are you cool with this? Is this the way you prefer to express yourself? Usually No 1s want to hit the colours.

SINNER: Everyone is different. In Rome here, if we watch the last times when I played, I always played in whole black. It’s something what I always wanted to keep in a way. Can change in the future this, yes. But I love having all in the same colour. I believe it suits me quite well. I like not the yellow and orange and these very bright colours. I like more the darker colours. Again, everyone is different. Fashion off the court is different. I still have to learn many things about the fashion off court (smiling). I am just a very normal 23-year-old. Nothing crazy.

Q. Over these three months, did you ever have any doubts or questions that you could rediscover your great form that you showed tonight?

SINNER: Of course. It’s normal to have doubts. Would be strange to don’t have any doubts. Would sound very arrogant, no? I have doubts. I had doubts before going on court today. I have doubts now what’s going to happen in the next match. But we have to live with doubts because it means that you really care, that you want to improve, that you want to show yourself, that you want to do something special. Yeah, so I believe every one of us has daily doubts, so yeah.

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