The current number 2 in the world was suspended from the professional tour for three months and suffered serious damage to his image. In addition, he had to miss four Masters 1000. The Italian star made his return to the Rome Masters 1000 in front of his home fans and immediately reached the final, losing in straight sets to his great rival Carlos Alcaraz.
The 24-year-old from Sesto Pusteria also played great tennis at Roland Garros, disproving everyone who thought he would always struggle on red clay. The former world number 1 qualified for the final without losing a single set and put in a great performance even in the final act, taking a two-set and break lead against defending champion Alcaraz.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also had three match points in a row and looked ready to celebrate before enduring the fierce comeback of the 22-year-old Spaniard to win the longest final in French Slam history. That loss did have some consequences on the spirit of Jannik, who admitted to shedding a few tears, but that did not stop him from taking revenge a few weeks later at the Wimbledon Championships and ending the season in the best possible way.
Sinner can also shine on clay
In an interview with ‘Il Corriere dello Sport’, Italian tennis legend Paolo Bertolucci confessed that he has a wish for Jannik for 2026: “I hope Sinner wins Paris. They’ve been dragging us around for 50 years with this Panatta as the last finalist! Well, it seems like who knows what the hell you’ve done, with that s– physique!”
If he continues to work hard and add new solutions to his game, there is no reason to rule out a win for the former world number 1 in Paris. In addition to reaching the final in 2025, he had qualified for the semi-finals last year and forced Alcaraz into a five-set battle against the iconic Philippe Chatrier.
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