(VIDEO) Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud caught laughing together before Rome Open final

While Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud prepared to go out and contest the Rome Open final this Sunday, television broadcasts showed the sportsmanlike moment between both rivals, with a relaxed chat in the practice area at Foro Italico.

In the video, Sinner can be seen playing with a football — juggling the ball. Meanwhile, Ruud works on a stationary bike in the gym. At the same time, both players can be seen talking and laughing, showing a great spirit only minutes before contesting the Rome title.

Sinner arrives to the final as the clear favourite, following a streak of 33 consecutive victories in Masters 1000 tournaments — an all-time historic record. The Italian has five Masters 1000 titles in a row — another historic mark — and is looking to extend it to six trophies.

In addition, the World No. 1 has the chance to become the second man to win all the Masters 1000 tournaments. The first was Novak Djokovic — an achievement he completed at 31 years old, while Sinner could accomplish it this afternoon at just 24 years old.

Across the net, Ruud is contesting his fourth final at this category — he lost in Miami (2022) and Monte-Carlo (2024), before claiming the biggest trophy of his career: the Madrid Open 2025.

Sinner leads the head-to-head 4-0, including a lone clash on clay courts, precisely at the same venue of the Foro Italico one year ago, when Ruud barely managed to win one game against an impressive Sinner — who was only playing his first tournament after the suspension.

Once again, Sinner appears as the main favourite, especially considering he will have the crowd on his side, while Ruud will need to hold on to the hope of producing an upset against the local player.