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When in Rome, do as Sinners do: how Italians rallied behind their new-found hero in an all-black kit on clay

Golf cart like a 'popemobile', chants and posters - Italians raised the decibel for Sinner's return from a drug suspension.

Italians gave Sinner a rousing reception on return at the Rome Open. (AP)

Italians gave Sinner a rousing reception on return at the Italian Open. (AP)

Crowds massively lined up to catch a glimpse of Jannik Sinner when he practised on Court 5 before his return match. And a TV camera snapped throughout, while children sat on parents’ shoulders and others climbed a fire hydrant and a potted plant to get the best possible view, as per Sports Illustrated.

Tennis Channel beamed a video of Sinner taking a golf cart ride past fans on the grounds at the Italian Open, whose pageantry clever journos likened to a popemobile.

Guardian capturing the frenzy noted T-shirts in the crowd at Rome Open saying, “Lord forgive me, the Sinner is back.” The tees were replete with AI-generated religious imagery, worn by two Italian women sporting orange wigs as over 10,000 gathered outside the Foro Italico’s stadium court an hour before festivities – read as Sinner’s match – began and reached a crescendo as he beat Mariano Navone of Argentina 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round.

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Thousands of fans had gathered beneath the bridge that connects the Campo Centrale, the stadium court, to other exclusive player areas on the tournament grounds, described Guardian. Even though Sinner did not appear on the bridge before his match, the spectators chanted his name, waving flags and signs with his posters.

Picking up where he left off 👌@janniksin defeats Navone 6-3 6-4 in his first match since January, extending his winning streak to 22#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/0D8pSMNLW2

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 10, 2025

“That means much more than any result, to be honest,” said Sinner of the support he received as quoted by Guardian. “It has been an amazing feeling to come here starting from the first practices with other players.”

Newly picked Pope Leo XIV – Robert Francis Prevost, got his share of airyime but at the Italian Open it has been almost entirely Italy’s first ever No 1 singles player. “It is almost impossible to navigate Rome without catching a glimpse of Sinner in some form. He seems to pop up in almost every other commercial on television channels, whether during the Champions League semi-finals or reality television shows. Throughout the week, his practice sessions were filmed and uploaded online by Tennis TV, the Association of Tennis Professionals’ streaming platform,” Guardian wrote.

Che bello ❤️❤️ Grazie per ieri 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/LDScxcRbMG

— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) May 11, 2025

Guardian added that his doping case appears to have only increased his profile and popularity at home, his compatriots rallying around him in case nobody else in the world would. “His uncertainty about his reception was quelled from his first practice when he entered the court to huge cheers,” They wrote.

The announcer boomed “il maestro”, and the raucous cheers he received on his emergence set the tone for the night. Sinner wore an all black kit, a rarity on clay and his thumbs up / down gesture set alight discussions.

Earlier, “Jannik’s day” was the headline on Saturday’s edition of Italian daily newspaper Corriere dello Sport. “The wait is over. From 7pm Rome will embrace … the strongest Italian tennis player of all time,” the paper continued.