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Jannik Sinner Seems to Be a Fan of Luigi Memes Stemming From French Open Outfit

Sinner has become a meme during the French Open.

Tim Capurso

Some fans have likened Sinner, in his green-and-blue Nike outfit, to Luigi.
Some fans have likened Sinner, in his green-and-blue Nike outfit, to Luigi. / Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

As world No. 1 Jannik Sinner power ups his way through the French Open, some fans couldn't resist drawing a connection between the Italian tennis star and another individual who hails from Italy and also dabbles in tennis: Nintendo video game character Luigi. Sinner, who is wearing a green-and-blue Nike kit for the French Open, has been likened to Luigi, who wears a similar color scheme with his green shirt, white gloves and blue overalls.

The memes have naturally taken up residence on the internet during Sinner's matches, as more and more tennis fans have become amused by the resemblance.

Just a few days later, Sinner's coach Darren Cahill couldn't help himself, posting a meme with the message, "Forza Luigi."

Even Sinner himself joined in on the fun, posting a photo of his Nike outfit with the caption "Luigi back on court" after his third round match victory on May 31.

If that wasn't enough of an indication, Sinner, when asked about the memes following his fourth round defeat of Andrey Rublev on Monday, seemed to indicate that he's a fan of them.

"It’s nice, you know? I feel like sometimes we need to see the funny part also at times," Sinner said, via The Tennis Letter. "It’s something different, the outfit. It’s also nice sometimes to change up. If not, it’s always too boring. It’s good to have something on at least."

Sinner has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros, his second tournament since returning from a three-month doping suspension after testing positive for Clostebol in March of 2024.

He'll take on Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals of the French Open on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. ET. Fire up the Luigi memes!

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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