'He's the most famous sportsperson in Italy' - Tennis star reflects on Jannik Sinner's popularity in the European country

Jannik Sinner is unlikely to participate in the upcoming Roland Garros.

Former tennis star Paolo Lorenzi has stated that Jannik Sinner has made the sport as popular as football in Italy.

In November last year, Jannik Sinner guided Italy to their first Davis Cup title in 47 years. Continuing his astounding form, the 22-year-old won his first major title at the 2024 Australian Open after he defeated the likes of Andrey Rublev, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev.

Sinner also won the ATP Rotterdam and the Miami Open, while also reaching the semifinals at the Indian Wells and Monte Carlo Masters. The 22-year-old also overtook Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP rankings to reach his career best #2.

Hence, reflecting on the 22-year-old’s success on the tennis court, former world No. #33 Paolo Lorenzi stated that everyone in Italy talks about Sinner. He also affirmed that Sinner’s popularity has equalled the reputation of the Italian football team.

“Everyone in Italy is watching Sinner. A Jannik Sinner match is like a football match in Italy, and this one has almost never happened in the last 30 years. When Sinner is playing, you have the live score, whatever, in every news site in Italy, online. Everyone is talking about Sinner. If you walk in the street, they are talking (about) why Sinner’s not now No. 1 and how many points he needs.”

Also Read: How Jannik Sinner can surpass Novak Djokovic and become new ATP World No. 1 without playing the 2024 French Open

Paolo Lorenzi also claimed that Jannik Sinner is the most famous sportsperson in the southern European country. He said that before Sinner, the popular names were Alberto Tomba and Valentino Rossi.

Lorenzi added, “I think that Sinner right now maybe can be better than football. Because I think right now he’s the most famous sportsperson in Italy; it’s like (Alberto) Tomba a few years ago, or Valentino Rossi. Now everyone is talking about tennis.”

However, Sinner’s breakthrough season has taken an unfortunate turn as he sustained a hip injury during the Madrid Open earlier this month. The Italian tennis star announced that he wouldn’t be participating in the 2024 Italian Open. Moreover, his participation in the 2024 French Open is also uncertain.

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