The whole world pays tribute to Jannik Sinner
History has been rewritten, the Italian tennis movement has never been higher. After Tuesday’s historic day, in which Jannik Sinner, having qualified for the semifinals of Roland Garros, became the first Italian tennis player to occupy the number one position in world tennis, today the Italian joy even doubles.
It is thanks to the extraordinary feat of Jasmine Paolini, who with an applauding performance beat for the first time on the court the number four in the Wta ranking Elena Rybakina and won her first career slam semifinal.
A result that earned the Italian the virtual tenth position, making her the fifth Italian tennis player to achieve entry into the top ten after Francesca Schiavone, doubles partner Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci.
Sinner and Paolini’s simultaneous run allowed Italian tennis to achieve a historic result: for the first time in the Open era both an Italian player and an Italian player reached the semifinals in a Grand Slam tournament in men’s and women’s singles.
A dream one-two punch that testifies to the exceptional state of health of the Italian movement. In a recent interview with Sky Sport, former Roger Federer’s coach Ivan Ljubicic reflected on Sinner’s rise.
Ivan Ljubicic praises Jannik Sinner
Ivan Ljubicic praised Jannik Sinner: “It is a historic moment for Italian and world tennis because Jannik has an ever-increasing following and many kids are starting to play, taking inspiration from what he represents. He is a perfect point of reference for all children and, honestly, it makes me happy because he is an absolute example not only on the court, but also off it.”
All of Italy’s tennis scene rallied (and there were absolutely no doubts) around Jannik Sinner, who on June 4th wrote another important page in the history of his career. The South Tyrolean, while he was preparing to play the last games of the Roland Garros quarterfinals against Grigor Dimitrov, was able to perceive from the court as if it were official the news that from Monday he will become the new number one in the world.
It was Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal due to injury – inadvertently – that made this day unforgettable for the South Tyrolean. Many have dedicated congratulatory messages on social media to the 22-year-old from San Candido.v