Top-ranked Jannik Sinner passed a big test in his return from a three-month doping ban by beating accomplished clay-court player Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (2), 6-3 to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals.

I need this,” the world No. 1 said of the tough run Francisco Cerundolo gave him in Rome. “Today I felt I raised my level.”

Jannik has kept Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz behind despite missing three months of action and four Masters 1000 events. Thus, he will celebrate a notable milestone next week.

Sinner was asked in his post-match news conference about the pope following his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Dutch qualifier Jesper De Jong at the Italian Open, which is being played just up the Tiber River from the Vatican.

ROME—Jannik Sinner says it’s “a good thing for us tennis players” that the new pope likes to play the sport. Even if Leo XIV jokingly said he wouldn’t want to arrange a game with the top-ranked player—ostensibly because of his name.

The Italian champion's next opponent in Rome is Jesper de Jong, who defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the previous round to overturn the odds against a player who was having an excellent season so far.

Jannik Sinner came through the first true test of his comeback from a doping ban with Tuesday's straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo, which took the World No. 1 into the Italian Open quarterfinals.