Jannik Sinner displayed remarkable sportsmanship during the Italian Open when his opponent, Jesper De Jong, suffered a difficult fall.
Facing the Dutch player in the round of 32, De Jong fell hard on the clay court.
The 24-year-old De Jong was injured attempting to reach a shot near the net.
He was seen holding his wrist and in apparent pain on the ground.
His clothes were covered in clay as medical staff arrived.
However, the first person to reach the fallen player was his opponent, Sinner, who quickly came over the net.
The Italian player knelt beside him to check if he was alright and then carried De Jong`s racket off the court as he was able to walk to his seat.
Sinner, 23, also took the time to clean the clay from the racket`s handle.
He even offered De Jong a towel to clean himself up on the side of the court.
Despite the pain, De Jong managed a lighthearted moment, asking Sinner, “Do you have a new shirt as well?”
Fans praised Sinner`s sportsmanship on social media, calling his action `total genuine class`, `sportsmanship at its best`, and noting he `always has been` a `class act`. One fan particularly appreciated how he `cleaned Jesper’s racquet for him`, and another commented that `This kind of kindness is not something you can fake.`
Caption: World number 1 Jannik Sinner seen trembling in worrying scenes during Australian Open win over Holger Rune
Sinner won the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
De Jong was able to continue playing after a medical timeout and having his wrist heavily strapped.
Sinner will now face 17th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the next round (round of 16).
Notably, Sinner was defeated by Cerundolo at the same stage of the Italian Open in 2023.
Speaking about his next opponent, Sinner said:
“He`s an amazing player, he has an amazing season until now.
“It`s going to be tough. For sure I have to raise my level.
“It`s going to be a good challenge, a good test for me and we`ll see how it goes.”
