ITALY IS OBSESSED WITH TENNIS PLAYER JANNIK SINNER

Soccer-mad Italy has a new obsession. Jannik Sinner's performance on the tennis court has captured the country's attention. And not just for the way Sinner rallied from two sets down to beat...

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Soccer-mad Italy has a new obsession. Jannik Sinner's performance on the tennis court has captured the country's attention. And not just for the way Sinner rallied from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev and win the Australian Open title. Ever since Sinner reached the ATP Finals championship match at home in Turin and then led Italy to the Davis Cup title on consecutive weeks in November, he's been taking over the headlines from soccer. Jannik Sinner wrote a new page of history today that fills us with pride," Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni wrote on Facebook. "It's an achievement worthy of a real champion."

The Turin final was the most watched tennis match of all time on Italian television, with 6.7 million viewers. It wouldn't be surprising if Sunday's match turns out to have an even bigger audience, even though it was shown only on Pay TV, starting at 9:30 a.m., in Sinner's home country. It's a testament to the 22-yearold Sinner's clean-cut image, his ability to always say the right thing and act properly.

"I've never seen such a great yet simple champion," Andrea Abodi, Italy's Sports Minister, wrote on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. "I'm happy and honored that he's Italian." The attention is also due to the fact that no Italian man had won a Grand Slam singles title in nearly a half-century - since Adriano Panatta raised the French Open trophy in 1976.

"And trust me, this is just the first of many Grand Slam finals," said Flavia Pennetta, the last Italian woman to win a Grand Slam after beating compatriot Roberta Vinci in the 2015 U.S. Open final.