I need this,” the world No. 1 said of the tough run Francisco Cerundolo gave him in Rome. “Today I felt I raised my level.”

Jannik has kept Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz behind despite missing three months of action and four Masters 1000 events. Thus, he will celebrate a notable milestone next week.

Sinner was asked in his post-match news conference about the pope following his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Dutch qualifier Jesper De Jong at the Italian Open, which is being played just up the Tiber River from the Vatican.

Tennis fans were shocked to see a more muscular Jannik Sinner return to action after serving his three-month ban.

The Italian champion's next opponent in Rome is Jesper de Jong, who defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the previous round to overturn the odds against a player who was having an excellent season so far.

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner passed a big test in his return from a three-month doping ban by beating accomplished clay-court player Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (2), 6-3 to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals.

Find out how to watch, live stream, TV channel, tournament information, & more for Jannik Sinner vs. Francisco Cerundolo at the 2025 Internazionali BNL

Jannik Sinner came through the first true test of his comeback from a doping ban with Tuesday's straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo, which took the World No. 1 into the Italian Open quarterfinals.

Plastic sheets cover the field during a thunderstorm prior to the start round of sixteen match between Jannik Sinner and Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome,