Sinner reflects on playing at home in Rome - "It's a special tournament for us Italians"

Spearheading the next generation of Italian players, Jannik Sinner is proving to be not only a threat on the court but also a fan favorite as he preps for the ongoing Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome.

The 19-year old faces a lot of pressure playing at his home tournament, however he seems ready to shoulder the responsibility and rise to the occasion.

“Rome is a special tournament for us Italians, it’s like being home," revealed Sinner. "It is a shame that there won’t be any public during the early rounds, but it is very nice to be here again. I believe it is one of the best events we attend during the year and I love the conditions too.”

Sinner made his debut in Rome two seasons ago ranked World No.262, but has since risen and broken into the Top 20. The Italian's game is more suited for hard courts, but he seems confident as he continues to adapt to the red clay.

“Obviously, when you start playing on it after a long time on hard courts, adaptation is the most important thing," admitted Sinner. "But now, after a number of weeks on it, I feel like I can take different decisions on court.

"I most certainly still need to learn and improve many things, but I feel like I can play well on clay. On the other hand, on grass I haven’t played more than 3-4 matches in my life, so I still have to understand everything about it."

Sinner plays Ugo Humbert in the opening round, and should he prevail, has a difficult challenge as he's scheduled to face 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the second round.

“I need to play against Humbert and it is not a given that I will win,” he said when asked about the possibility of facing Nadal. “He is a lefty and his game troubles me. Indeed, he defeated me at the Next Gen ATP Finals. So my focus is obviously on this match before I can think of Nadal."