PARIS - Adriano Panatta was the last Italian man to win Roland Garros, now exactly 50 years later the former world number four could have the honour of placing the Coupe des Mousquetaires in a compatriot's hands.
Jannik Sinner arrives in the French capital on a 29-match win streak and with victory earlier in May at the Italian Open he sealed his sixth successive Masters title but also became the first local man since Panatta in 1976 to win at the Foro Italico.
Now nothing would please Panatta more than the 24-year-old equalling his historic clay-court double, and him "no longer having to hear people tell me, 'It's been 50 years since we last won in Rome and Roland Garros'".
Speaking to AFP at the Italian Open, Panatta, who will present the trophy to the winner of the men's final on June 7 in Paris, was confident Sinner could complete his career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, especially with the injury-enforced absence of double reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.
"There's an Italian who could really win both tournaments within the space of a few days," he said.
"(Sinner) is the epitome of the current generation. He is a true champion, a 'fuoriclasse' as we say in Italy -- a player in a class of his own."
Sinner will open his bid to win a first Roland Garros title on Tuesday against French wild card Clement Tabur.
"Thankfully, there wasn't a Sinner in my day!" the one-time major winner quipped of the devastatingly efficient top seed.
While Panatta predicts Sinner will break many records –- including Novak Djokovic's 24 Grand Slam titles -- the 75-year-old makes no secret of the fact that he "doesn't recognise himself in modern tennis".
"Because the ball moves so much faster, today's players have less time to think, solutions are harder to find. You have to play and hit hard, it's a completely different game. When we played tennis, it was a more thoughtful, more tactical game."
- AFP