Sinner The Great Beauty

Eye to eye with your opponent, ready to dry the tears of a bitter cry with the sheet of comfort. You are Jannik Sinner, the number one in the world, and you just won the third Slam of your career, but the greatest thing you do is before receiving the trophy: you give history not only a title, but yet another lesson in fair play. The final embrace between the blue and Alexander Zverev, just defeated in his third Major final is something to show again and again to children (and not only) who dream of becoming champions and makes you wonder what they ever said to each other? "On the court we are opponents, but the tour is like a school. There are no books but rackets, but we are like schoolmates", says Jannik. AtAustralian Open there is an all-Italian boy who literally walked in his Eden, searched, built and found for the first time a year ago. It was just the beginning of what is now an incredible saga. Here, incredible, probably to frame Jannik Sinner we will have to invent another term given that today he is the most successful Italian tennis player ever: three slams in the cabinet, two Davis Cups in addition to the throne of the ATP. A domination chiseled by a symbolic photo, with a pair of special shoes on his feet to remember Kobe Bryant, a basketball legend who died 5 years ago in an accident.

Thus the South Tyrolean has carved a furrow compared to his colleagues, beyond the technical level, on that of respect, education and style. In 2024 he cut his teeth, almost failing his first Australian Open final, putting together a fabulous comeback against Medvedev and then sailing an entire year between the stars and asteroids of injury and the Clostebol case. And today? He has the strength to move the planets of sport. As a coach-father would, he consoles his opponent who is almost five years older, with a mountain of experience behind him and who in the final was defeated 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. The measure of a superiority seen only in the era of the 'big three', when they left crumbs to their opponents. Because on a technical level there was no match to the last act even against a complete and powerful tennis player like Zverev. A Slam title won and a final without suffering a break. If a year ago the Italian showed us what a dream looks like, today he has put his signature on it again, because – as his coach Cahill also said – confirming yourself "is the most difficult thing". Since he became number 1, Sinner has started working twice as hard, almost to keep the idea of ​​that sentence away (on the Clostebol case), by the way: "If I knew I was guilty I wouldn't play like this". The passport to the myth is ready, with Prime Minister Meloni who defines you as "a pride for Italy" and such a concentration that allows you to go beyond the ailments of the Australian season. Like that virus that planned to throw you out of the tournament. Beyond the deafening noise of criticism, like that of the German newspaper 'Bild', which the other day had headlined 'Zverev in the final against skandal Sinner', referring to the doping storm. But what does Jannik do? He plays, wins, plays, wins again. Then a polite celebration, respecting a desperate opponent after failing yet another Slam final, who disconsolately tells him: "You deserved it, you are the strongest of all". A phrase to which Jannik immediately responds: "You are extraordinary, continue to believe in yourself, we know how strong you are, not only as a player, but as a person, continue to work hard and you will probably be able to lift one of these very soon". A year ago the dedication to his parents, who left him "free to choose" what to do with his life. At the US Open Jannik turned his first thought to his dying aunt. Yesterday the bow to his opponent, because without them there would be no champions.