Sinner, Bastianini, Paltrinieri and Alino Diamanti have also passed through Melbourne's 'Trattoria Emilia', opened by people from Modena. From Berrettini to Bagnaia, a meal with champions. Homesick? There's a 'refuge' for athletes

There is an Emilian heart in the heart of Melbourne, and that is what warms the tennis players. Not only ours, because obviously when Berrettini, Sinner and the other blues have tasted the delights of the Emilia Trattoria during the'Australian Open, the word spread and foreigners started arriving too.

It seems like the classic story of Italians opening a restaurant abroad, but in reality behind the Melbourne trattoria (and the connected tigelleria, called Emilietta) there is the courage of three guys from Modena who over time have built their dream, bringing truly traditional dishes, and not the hybrid that often characterizes the menus offered abroad.

Francesco Rota today he is 39 years old, he left Modena in 2008 where he had been a promising rugby player, together with his friend Luca Flammia, 44, from Soliera, a town on the outskirts of the capital. They had attended hotel school, one in Salsomaggiore, the other in Carpi: "But we hadn't actually planned to stay, it was a bit of an adventure - says Francesco -. We did some odd jobs, I met my girlfriend, and in the meantime we saw that the Italian restaurant proposal wasn't made with our criteria. There weren't many people working well, there was a lot of improvisation. And in a city of six million people there was room to throw yourself in. In 2015 some investors offered us the opportunity, then during the lockdown we took over everything. It was like going all-in at the casino, it went well".

The third companion on this journey is called Matthew Neviani, 50 years old, comes from Sassuolo, he used to sell tiles and if the last name tells you something you are right, he is related to Nek (cousin). But as often happens, the meeting between the three took place thousands of kilometers from home. Francesco and Luca are in the kitchen, Matteo manages wines and the dining room.

The trattoria's menu is typically Emilian, with raw materials that come directly from our producers. Covid was also an opportunity to meet tennis champions: "When we started again, the restaurant took off. It was included in the 'bible of things to do in Melbourne' that they give to those who participate in theAustralian Open, and our journalist friend Dario Castaldo, a Roman from Melbourne, did the rest, sending us some samples. The first to arrive was Vincenzo Santopadre, one day when we were closed, during the lockdown. He brought Berrettini and the whole team, I improvised with what I had and that's where Berrettini spaghettini was born, with tomatoes made in four different ways. He loves tomatoes. From there, the others started to arrive too, practically all the Italians, even Murray, and then Valentino Rossi, bagnaia, bastianini, Greg Paltrinieri, Alino Diamonds. And a different responsibility has also begun."

Why? "Because theAustralian Open It's like a world championship, and if you feed athletes you have to be careful about the consequences. If they get sick during the night, then it's a problem. So I already know the next question: no, Sinner didn't eat with us the day before he had that problem against Rune...".