Jannik Sinner Explains His All-Black Nike Kit at the Italian Open

On Saturday night, Jannik Sinner returned to action for the first time in over three months. The ATP World No. 1 was greeted like a conquering hero as he returned to his homeland for the Italian Open.

Sinner could have worn white given his hometown status in Rome. Instead, the 23-year-old opted for an all-black Nike kit.

After defeating Mariano Navone in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) to advance to the third round, Sinner participated in a post-match press conference and was asked about his on-court fashion choices in Rome.

At 4:56 in Sinner's press conference, a reporter asked Sinner if he "was cool" with his monochromatic Nike outfit because top-ranked players usually wear colorful kits.

Jannik Sinner hits a forehand. — Jannik Sinner wore all-black in his first match at the Italian Open. | IMAGO / Insidefoto

Sinner said, "Nah, everyone is different. In Rome, here, if we watch the last times when I played, I always played in whole black. It's something I always wanted to keep in a way. Can change in the future this, yes."

Sinner explained, "But I love having all in the same color. I believe it suits me quite well. I like not the yellow and orange and these very bright colors. I like more the darker colors."

"Again, everyone is different. Fashion off the court is different. I still have to learn many things about the fashion off-court. I am just a very normal 23-year-old. Nothing crazy," concluded Sinner.

So, it really is a new generation of top players in tennis. Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay, ruled the surface in brightly-colored Nike apparel and tennis shoes.

Jannik Sinner greets fans after a match. — Jannik Sinner wore mostly general-release Nike apparel at the Italian Open. | IMAGO / Giuseppe Maffia

Luckily for fans, they can have both. Of course, Nadal's signature collection is still available online. Even better, Sinner mostly wore general release apparel in Rome tonight.

Sinner wore NikeCourt Advantage Polo ($65), NikeCourt Advantage 6" shorts ($70), and the NikeCourt Heritage Jacket ($90). While that is expensive, at least fans can get their hands on the gear.

Unfortunately, Sinner's Nike hat sporting his signature logo and has only been released in limited quantities last fall in Turin, Italy. Also, his Nike Zoom GP Challenge 1 tennis shoes feature a player-exclusive design and will not hit shelves.

Sinner is now 8-0 with one title this season. His next match is against Jesper De Jong in the third round on Monday, May 12.

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