US Open stars can’t seem to get enough of a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant located just a hop and a skip away from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
When Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz — who insisted that they are friends away from tennis despite being fierce rivals on the court — aren’t duking it out in Flushing Meadows, they can often be found dining at Osteria Delbianco.
The upscale eatery located on East 49th Street in Midtown Manhattan has swiftly become a fan favorite among the upper echelon of tennis pros, in large part due to its comforting atmosphere and delicious menu featuring traditional Northern Italian dishes.
“They feel very relaxed [here]. They feel at home,” Osteria Delbianco co-owner Dorjan Kalaja told The New York Post. “They love it here. They create such a wonderful atmosphere when they are here. People love them. Now we have a personal relationship with them.”
Given the fact that the large majority of US Open players stay at hotels located in Midtown East, Osteria Delbianco serves as a local hot spot for those looking to find a great meal close by. Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti, Leylah Fernandez and Jasmine Paolini have all dined at the restaurant since the Grand Slam kicked off, with Sinner and Alcaraz also arriving separately at the joint for dinner on the same night last week.
“Sinner came first, and after that, as soon as Alcaraz came in, they start talking and stuff, you know, like friends,” co-owner Gustavo Hodzic recalled. “They talked, they laughed. [They had] a very good time.”
According to Alcaraz, the run-in happened by complete chance. “We run into each other. Just was a coincidence,” he told reporters. “It is a good restaurant.”
As for what dishes they like most, Sinner — who was born and raised in Innichen, a village in northern Italy — routinely goes for the pasta with bolognese sauce or veal and scallops. “Sinner, he like to cook — a good Italian cook,” chef Diego Bigucci said. “Simple, traditional Italian cook. The father was a chef, worked in the kitchen as well. He likes the more traditional Italian food, what we do here. I’m proud of him.”
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Alcaraz, meanwhile, prefers the chicken diavolo and risotto with salmon. Most recently, the Spaniard opted for the gnocchi with a “little ragu and truffle” alongside grilled fish and roasted potatoes while dining with a group of 11 people — including his dad, Carlos Alcaraz Gonzalez, and coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero — on Monday.
“Around 8:30 p.m., Alcaraz’s coach came in the door with two other people,” Hodzic said. “We were busy. He told me, like, ‘Do you have a table for us?’ I said, ‘Of course.’ That corner table I left empty — if somebody coming, a player.”
Dining and Cooking