Is it possible that tennis could eclipse football in the collective consciousness of Italy?  Maybe not for the long run, but for now, Jannik Sinner has captured the imagination of all Italian sport.  His come-from-behind victory at the Australian Open was a masterful performance.  He defeated Daniil Medvedev in 5 sets to win his first Gland Slam title.  Ranked number 4 worldwide until now, Sinner defeated Djokavic (#1) in the semifinals, after beating Rublev (#5) in the quarterfinals, before his win over Medvedev (#3) on January 28, 2024. 

There is a 17-hour time difference between Melbourne, Australia, and Santa Barbara, California.  As excited as I was for Jannik, I decided not to watch the game in real time.  But when I awoke at 3 am on January 27 (8 pm on January 28 in Melbourne), I padded down to my computer in my robe.  Jannik was down 2 sets to 0 and tied in the third set.  Disappointed, I returned to bed thinking that victory was not meant to be. 

Sunday morning dawned on the west coast of the United States.  The results were in, but we watched as if in real time.  I knew about the first two sets but didn’t tell my husband.  He went for a walk with the dog.  When he returned, we watched Jannik pull out the third set.  And we watched Medvedev getting increasingly tired from his more than 20 hours on the courts leading up to the finals.  Jannik still seemed fresh and with his team managed to make some adjustments to his game to lead to the service breaks in sets 4 and 5.  How sweet it was!

Sinner comes from Alto Adige in northern Italy.  He is fluent in Italian, German, and English.  As a youngster, he excelled in sports, particularly skiing; but at the age of 13 he left home for the Italian riviera to train in tennis.  Even now, at 22 years of age, he has a clean-cut image; he is very well spoken in all languages and projects modesty and consideration of others in his press conferences.

Sinner has inspired a fan club, called the “Carota Boys,” who have followed him around the world.  The carrot theme is partly a tribute to his hair color, but also to how he ate carrots instead of a banana during a changeover during a tournament in Vienna in 2019.  “Forza Jannik Sinner” has been seen on banners throughout Italy. It is rumored that youth tennis clubs now have a waiting list due to his popularity.

On February 1, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella will honor the 2023 Davis Cup winners that featured Jannik Sinner, as well as Sinner’s Australian Open victory.  “Italy is on top of the tennis world,” said 90-year -old Nicola Pietrangeli, the only other Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in 1959 and 1960 in the French Opens.

Upcoming tournaments in 2024:   Indian Wells Tournament in California (March 4 – 17),  Italian Open in Rome (May 6-9), French Open in Paris (May 20 – June 9),  Wimbledon in London (July 1 – 14),  US Open in New York (August 26 – September 8). 

On his way to #1 in the world rankings.  Forza Jannik Sinner!!!