Sinner's first match back at Roland Garros after his five-set loss in last year's final couldn't have been more different than that epic encounter with Carlos Alcaraz.
Playing in a first-round night session on Tuesday, the top-ranked Sinner routed 171st-ranked French wildcard entry Clement Tabur 6-1 6-3 6-4 to extend his winning streak to 30 matches as he chases the only big title missing in his tennis career.
"I'm very happy to be back here," Sinner said. "Great memories overall."
To get himself in the mood for Paris, Sinner and his brother started on their Eiffel Tower Lego project when he spent a few days at home after his recent Italian Open title.
"We tried to finish it. We couldn't. Because they are always the same pieces together, so at some point it's very boring. But you know we are not far away, so I know after this tournament I go back home and and then I'm going (to) send you guys a picture when it's finished," Sinner told the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
"Hopefully. if we don't miss any pieces."
The 24-year-old Sinner, who has won five straight tournaments, has been missing hardly anything on court lately and is an overwhelming favourite for the French Open with Alcaraz sidelined with a right wrist injury.
The only issue for Sinner came when he wasted three match points on Tabur's serve at 5-4 in the third set.
Then he called for a trainer on the changeover and had his right foot tended to for an apparent blister. But he served it out in the next game.
Sinner has won the Australian Open twice and Wimbledon and the US Open once each. After losing three match points in the 2025 final to Alcaraz, he still needs a French Open trophy to complete a career grand slam - something Alcaraz did by winning in Australia in February.
Sinner hasn't lost since being beaten by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarter-finals more than three months ago. He's attempting to become the first Italian man to win the singles trophy in Paris since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.
In other news, Briton Cameron Norrie pulled out injured from a major for the first time when a rib issue meant he was unable to continue against Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, who was leading 7-6 (9-7) 2-0.
American Learner Tien dished out the bagels during his 6-0 2-6 6-0 6-2 win over Chile's Cristian Garin.
A day after French favourite Gael Monfils went out of his home grand slam for the final time, Parisian fans were given a glimpse of the future as teenager Moise Kouame downed 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-1.
Victory meant the 17-year-old wildcard became the youngest man to win a grand slam main-draw match in 17 years.
"It's a lot of emotion, it's exceptional," Kouame said.
"Coming into this tournament, I didn't know what to expect. The team and I worked hard to be as ready as possible."
Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 runner-up to Novak Djokovic, was leading 6-2 3-0 against Alexandre Muller when his French opponent retired. Muller injured his right calf.
Ninth-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan was beaten 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-5 by Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
- with Reuters
12°C