Mattarella embraces the Azzurri without Sinner: "Extraordinary, now bring us the third Davis"

It ends up that the champions are much better than those who comment on them. That the soap bubbles of controversy vanish, swept away by the wind of empathy and humanity. Yesterday at the Quirinale the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella received the tennis players who won the Davis Cup , Billie Jean King Cup. Except one, Jannik Sinner, whose absence was announced due to fatigue, at the request of the medical staff that follows him. Sinner was there a year ago, this time his withdrawal "was very disappointing for everyone", as explained by the president of the Coni Giovanni Malagò and that of the Federtennis Angelo Binaghi, who then added: "no rudeness towards the head of state, who is of such a level that he understood very well what Sinner's problems are. We had chosen this date to allow him to be there, we would have been pleased, but his health is a priority, let's not forget what we saw on TV about ten days ago", said Binaghi referring to Sinner's illness in Melbourne.

Mattarella had kind words for Jannik and all the other tennis players who colored an unforgettable 2024 blue: "an extraordinary season for Italy, you were all exceptional, you put Italian tennis at the top of the world". And then he made a kind request: "We had already won the Davis Cup and Fed Cup in the past, but this year is different. We have shown the world how Italy knows how to work as a team. The Davis Cup has three levels, so we expect a third victory, but it is not essential right away".

In the absence of Sinner, it was Matteo Berrettini to take the stage, inviting the President to stand up and handing him, together with Jasmin Paolini, a picture with all the Italian successes of the year. He did it by mentioning a "boy from Alto Adige who helped us a little". Considering the relationship of complicity that exists between the two, we would not be surprised to discover one day that the desire to leave the limelight to his friend contributed to Jannik's choice.

Certainly, as on other occasions when he met Italian athletes, Mattarella demonstrated that he follows the sport with great attention and that he is the first not to be hindered by the ceremony, enthusiastically accepting to take selfies with the Italians, next to the cups.

No way, those outraged by social media will have to come back again another time.