Jannik Sinner cruised into the last 16 of the Italian Open on Monday after comfortably beating lucky loser Jesper de Jong 6-4, 6-2 in front of a delighted crowd in Rome.

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.

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.”

Pope Leo XIV recently dubbed himself an amateur tennis player, but if he were to ever have a match at the Vatican, there would be one glaring omission.

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,

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.

Italy’s Jannik Sinner serves the ball to Netherlands’ Jesper De Jong during their tennis match at the Italian Open at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Italy’s Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands’ Jesper De Jong during their tennis match at the Italian Open at the Foro Italico,