Bertolucci on Sinner's Return: "The Crowd's Passion Made Him Instantly Forget the Shadows of the Very Tough Past Period"

Sinner defeated Navone (6-3, 6-4) in the second round of the Rome Masters 1000. Speaking to *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, Paolo Bertolucci reflected on the Italian's comeback after his doping suspension. According to him, the crowd played a major role in Sinner's return:

"Obviously, it was a match against a good opponent, but not an outstanding one. He has already provided all the answers we were looking for, and this victory against Navone allows for some analysis. First of all, as expected, Jannik has regained the serenity he lost over the past year under the crushing weight of an event that could have permanently taken away his joy for tennis.

You could see it in the almost perpetual smile on his face, in his body language, in the calm with which he handled both winning shots and the rare mistakes. From this perspective, there’s no doubt that returning to Rome provided fundamental support.

Since his arrival on Monday, he has been cherished and embraced by an almost familial warmth. The crowd’s passion made him instantly forget the shadows of that very difficult period, while also giving him extra motivation that charged him up just as he needed."