Jannik Sinner breaks silence on being targeted by social media mockery at Roland Garros

Awaiting his quarterfinal match against Aleksandr Bublik this Wednesday, Jannik Sinner remains one of the main favorites to win the title at Roland Garros. However, the World No. 1 has also been the subject of some mockery on social media during the tournament, and now he’s spoken about it.

During a few of his matches at the French Open 2025, Sinner wore a green shirt, blue shorts, and a matching blue cap. That led some social media users to compare him to Luigi, a character from the popular Mario Bros. video game series.

Far from reacting negatively, the Italian star took it with humor—even joking about it on his official X account (formerly known as Twitter) by posting photos of himself with the caption “Luigi back on court” and a flexed-arm emoji. His coach Darren Cahill also joined in, sharing a meme about it on Instagram.

“It’s nice, you know? I feel like sometimes we need to see the funny part as well,” Sinner told Tennis.com this week when asked about the jokes he’s received over his outfit at the Paris Grand Slam. “It’s something different, and it’s also nice sometimes to change things up—if not, it gets too boring,” added the World No. 1 with a smile, showing that he’s found a positive angle to the entire situation. “It’s good to have something on, at least.”

Sinner eyes French Open semifinals

Following his return from a doping suspension, Jannik Sinner has come back to official competition in top form. He reached the final at the Rome Masters 1000, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz, and now he’s progressing steadily at Roland Garros, where he hasn’t dropped a single set.

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On Monday, the Italian star defeated Andrey Rublev and is now preparing for his quarterfinal clash with Aleksandr Bublik, scheduled for Wednesday morning on Court Philippe Chatrier. Should he win, Jannik will match his best-ever performance at the French Open—last year, he also reached the semifinals, where he fell to Alcaraz in five sets.

Sinner reflects on his performances

Asked about his level of play after Monday’s win over Rublev, Sinner was candid. “I’m playing, for sure, some good tennis. I think we can see that, mentally, I’m for sure more ‘free’ which allows me to be more focused at times,” he said. “But things can change quickly, you know? Being again in the quarters, that means a lot to me now and I’m never taking things for granted.”