Sinner unrivalled, with the wind in his sails towards Rome

Jannik Sinner, after yesterday's (umpteenth) victory over Zverev, breaks the taboo of the surface that on paper was less congenial to him, proving also with results that he is not only a concrete tennis player. And he arrives in Rome, at the Foro Italico, with the wind in his sails. Fans all over Italia are counting down the days, they have been waiting for a triumph at home for fifty years: it was 30 May '76 when Adriano Panatta raised the cup after his victory over Argentine Guillermo Vilas and went on to take Paris. This could indeed be the right moment, also considering the absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, stopped by a serious wrist injury. Without the Spaniard, Sinner (who is up there at the top with more than 14,300 points) seems to have no rivals. He has won five consecutive Masters 1000s, the last four in the same season and moving from fast Indian Wells and Miami to European clay, a record held only by Rafa Nadal (in 2013 he triumphed in Madrid, Rome, Montreal and Cincinnati). Suffice it to say that world number 3 Zverev - embarrassing his performance in the Italia final - lost for the ninth consecutive time: he has no weapons to counter the Italian's superiority from the baseline and in response. The German, during the award ceremony, explicitly said that the Italian "is by far the best in the world right now" and that "for most of us there is no chance" against him.

In Rome, where the court in Piazza del Popolo has been set up again this year, there will be a lot of Italia alongside Sinner. Starting with Lorenzo Musetti, who had a sensational season on clay last year, and Flavio Cobolli, who reached the 12th position in the ranking after the last good results in Monaco and Madrid. But there are also Luciano Darderi, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Sonego, without forgetting, among the women, our Jasmine Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto. "We look forward to the Internazionali di Roma and Roland Garros, not only for Sinner, but for all of you": this is how the Head of State Sergio Mattarella welcomed the Italian Davis and Billie Jean King Cup teams to the Quirinale, with Fitp President Angelo Binaghi.

In the meantime, there was the draw, Sinner will play directly in the second round against the winner between Austria's Sebastian Ofner and the American Alex Michelsen, then in the third round a derby with Berrettini could be on the cards (but on Matteo's way are Popyrin and Mensik). Looking ahead, on his side of the draw are Shelton, Medvedev and Zverev. Musetti will also start from the second round and could find one of Mpetshi Perricard or a qualifier. For Cobolli, on the other hand, the opener will be against Bergs or Atmane, while Darderi will take on the winner of Hanfmann/Hurkacz.

The final is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday 17 May and the winner will be awarded by Adriano Panatta: it already promises to be an unforgettable moment.