Francis, who extended his congratulations to the young tennis player. Sinner’s comeback from a two-sets-to-love deficit in the 2024 Australian Open final made him the third Italian man in tennis history to win a Major title. The victory marked a significant achievement for Italy in the realm of tennis. Despite an initially nervous start, Sinner displayed resilience and conviction, securing a 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory against the third-seeded Daniil Medvedev. Pope Francis acknowledged this historic moment and shared his thoughts on Jannik Sinner’s success in Melbourne.
The news of Jannik Sinner’s victory in Melbourne reached Pope Francis while he was giving a sermon at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona. During his sermon, Pope Francis expressed his congratulations to the Italians for Sinner’s win in Australia, stating, “Today we have to congratulate the Italians because, yesterday, they won in Australia. So we congratulate them, too.”
The Pope, who was pleased to see Sinner putting Italy on the tennis map, also shared philosophical thoughts about tennis, remarking, “It would seem that the objective of the game is to be better than the opponent. In tennis, as in life, we can’t always win. But it’s an enriching challenge if it is played in an educated manner according to the rules. Sports are not just about competing but also relations. And in the case of tennis, it’s a dialogue that often becomes artistic.”
Notably, Jannik Sinner’s victory in the 2024 Australian Open made him the third Italian man in tennis history to win a Major title. The other Italian players who have achieved this feat include Adriano Panatta (1976 Roland Garros), Nicola Pietrangeli (1959-60 Roland Garros), Francesca Schiavone (2010 Roland Garros), and Flavia Pennetta (2015 US Open).
Jannik Sinner pulls out of ATP 250 tournament in Marseille after Melbourne heroics, schedule to play in Rotterdam next
Jannik Sinner has decided to withdraw from the 2024 Open 13 Provence, commencing on February 5. This decision is not unexpected, considering the Italian may require some rest following his demanding campaign at the Australian Open.
His next scheduled appearance is at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he will be accompanied by top 10 players such as Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune, and Hubert Hurkacz. Sinner has participated in the ATP 500 tournament twice before. In 2021, he finished as the runner-up to Medvedev in Rotterdam, and in his first appearance in 2020, he reached the quarterfinals.