Jannik Sinner is eyeing to defend his title at the Australian Open. He is currently taking on America’s Ben Shelton in a lip-smacking clash in the semis of this tournament. Interestingly, this is their sixth meeting and both the players met each other thrice last season, but the Italian had the last laugh on all of those three occasions. The atmosphere inside the Rod Laver Arena is quite electrifying at the moment and both the players have got off to a flying start in this epic SF. This contest looks to be going a bit deep, but hold on! Who’s that in the stands?

Is that Oscar Piastri? Well, yes, Piastri has been spotted with his girlfriend watching Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton in action at the Rod Laver Arena. Is this Australian racing driver, a tennis fan? Renowned, tennis journalist Bastien Fachan shared this moment on his X handle with the caption, “Oscar Piastri watching his favourite tennis player Jannik Sinner!” He even wrote in another tweet, “A McLaren driver supporting a Ferrari boy, transcending the fandoms 🧡❤️.”

For the hardcore tennis fans who are wondering who’s this guy, well Oscar Piastri competes in the Formula One for McLaren. He has won two Formula One Grand Prix across two seasons. Piastri is a big tennis fan and guess who’s his favorite player? You might have got to know that by this time, though. Was it the first time we’ve seen him show his support for Jannik Sinner?

Well, the answer is no! Previously, when Jannik Sinner won the 2024 AO, Oscar Piastri was seen dropping a comment on the Italian’s IG post. He commented, “Awesome 💪” in a post where Jannik Sinner was seen giving a pose with the trophy. Even during the 2024 US Open, when Sinner posted a similar picture with the trophy in hand, he wrote, “Awesome tournament 🏆👏,” in the comment box.

However, Jannik Sinner isn’t the only tennis player that he follows, though. In 2023, he was spotted swapping the thrill of the F1 circuit for an afternoon of tennis action at the Queen’s Club. It was a match between Andy Murray and his countryman Alex de Minaur. Later on, while speaking to Murray, Piastri revealed, “I grew up watching Andy as a kid. The Australian Open was something I always watched and at that point, we had the big four with Andy, Roger, Rafa, and Novak. It’s very cool to meet him (Andy) all these years later – he’s a really nice guy and very down to earth so I enjoyed meeting him a lot.“

Interestingly, Piastri once seemed to be a big of fan Jannik Sinner’s rival as well! When Carlos Alcaraz won the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, he was seen sharing a story on his IG account featuring the Spaniard. He captioned that post with, “What a player.” Then it was followed by yet another story and it was a throwback image that was taken right after the 2023 French Open and it featured both Piastri and Alcaraz. He captioned that one with, “Enhorabuena @carlitosalcarazz.” [Translation: Congratulation @carlitosalcarazz].

From the racetrack to center court, this 23-year-old racer has time and again made the headlines for his love for multiple sports. Such inter-sport crossovers are always endearing, isn’t it? Has he ever tried his luck with the racket in hand, though? “I play tennis a bit here and there, I think as I’ve grown up a bit more, I really enjoy getting into a bit of tennis,” the racer said in a previous interview. Does Jannik Sinner love F1, as much as Oscar Piastri loves tennis?

“F1 is in my blood” – Jannik Sinner portrays his love for the motorsport

Jannik Sinner has always been a big fan of fast cars and his Italian heritage is also a big factor that led him to become a “Friend of F1.” During a previous interview with Formula1.com, the two-time Grand Slam champion said, “Being Italian, F1 is in my blood, so I couldn’t be more excited to be working with not only the best brand in motorsports but the best sports platform in the world. I am honoured to be given this opportunity and truly thrilled to be a Friend of F1.“

He is often seen attending several Grand Prix events throughout the year to promote the sport and increase fan engagement. Although he revealed that at times it’s a bit difficult to watch Formula 1 races while playing on the Tour, Sinner who passionately follows the motorsport, said that he tries to make time to catch the action. Where did this love for motorsport come from, though?

Well, Jannik Sinner credits his father and grandfather for instilling in him a passion for cars. Speaking on this he once said, “It was my Dad who passed it on to me. As a child, I used to watch Formula 1 on Sundays, with my granddad. It was more difficult with my parents because they worked a lot. So, I either watched it alone or with my grandfather.” In 2023, we saw him paying a visit to the Museo Ferrari in Maranello. Then shortly after clinching the 2024 ATP Finals trophy and leading Italy to its third Davis Cup title, he was seen joining other fellow tennis stars at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Jannik Sinner finds a lot of synergies between tennis and racing. He feels in both sports, it’s all about the 1% and it’s the small details that make huge a difference. Talking about small margins, well, let us give you an update from Melbourne, Jannik Sinner has already won two sets against Ben Shelton in the SF match. He is now just a few steps away from reaching his second consecutive AO final. Can he defend his title this time? What do you think?