Jannik Sinner is the toast of Italy as he will become the first man from the European country to rise to No 1 in the ATP Rankings and Nicola Pietrangeli is delighted with his achievement as he hit back at those saying he is “envious”.
The 22-year-old Sinner will replace Novak Djokovic at No 1 after the French Open with his ascend coming on the back of the Serbian’s withdrawal from the tournament due to injury.
However, reigning Australian Open champion was always in the driving seat to usurp Djokovic after the clay-court major as the 24-time Grand Slam winner needed to win the title if he was to hold off the challenge from the Italian.
Sinner’s surge have come on the back of an incredible seven-month period as he steered Italy to their first Davis Cup title since 1976 in December and followed it up by winning the Australian Open and Rotterdam Open, resulting in a rise to No 2.
Naturally compliments and tributes have flowed his way from the who’s who of not just Italian tennis, but Italian sport as all and sundry have congratulated the 22-year-old.
ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi said: “The news of Jannik Sinner being No 1 in the world is fantastic, I’m very happy for him. In my opinion, reaching the top of the world rankings is the hardest achievement for a tennis player and now having an Italian player there, as well as for the role I hold as ATP president, is truly an honour.”
Sinner’s fellow tennis players Matteo Berrettini, Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Sonego, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini all took to social media to salute their compatriot. The Italian national football team, the Azzurri, and Serie A giants AC Milan have also paid their respects to the new world No 1.
Two-time Roland Garros winner Pietrangeli – who also steered Italy to two Davis Cup titles – was also on hand to congratulate the rising star as declared it a “beautiful” moment for Italian sport as a whole and dismissed claims he is “jealous”.
“Sinner deserves to be No 1 in world tennis, he has been playing very well for many months and I am very happy for him,” he told Italian news agency Adnkronos.
“I am neither jealous nor envious as someone wrote, it’s a beautiful page not only for tennis but for the whole Italian sport, it’s the first time it happens.”
He added: “I would have liked it to have happened another way, beating Djokovic on the court in the final but that’s okay too.”