by Gaia Piccardi
At the Quirinale the Azzurri champions in Davis received by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella
Jannik Sinner and the team that won the Davis Cup in November received at the Quirinale by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The meeting was held this afternoon, also in the presence of the president of CONI Giovanni Malag and the number one of the Italian tennis and padel federation Angelo Binaghi. After his speech, Sinner gave Mattarella a racket.
Sinner’s words
Sinner, visibly emotional, goes to the microphone as a symbol of the boys who triumphed in Davis: I speak on behalf of the team, an honor to be here. Thanks to the captain we formed a team, bringing the Cup after 47 years. We have to give credit to Berrettini who supported the team, we got out of a difficult situation in Bologna. In Malaga we played excellent tennis, felt good on the court and were happy. We laughed even when things weren’t going well. The Cup brought us many emotions.
Mattarella’s words
President Mattarella’s speech: I thank the whole team, the work of the captain and also Berrettini. I followed your path, losing only one game. I saw all the matches with Holland, Serbia and Australia. 47 years was a long time, in those days you showed cohesion and team spirit. There was great human value, in addition to the sporting one. Then he added: I remember the Davis of 1976, that team that won the Cup in Chile. I also remember other matches, the Davis of 1960 for example. I am convinced that we will not wait that long for another victory. You have brought young people closer to tennis and in Australia the enthusiasm was renewed with Sinner’s victory. I only watched from the 4th set, I immediately had the certainty that he would win. It was a great success. Everyone will now expect him to always win, but rightly so that no pressure is put on him. What’s important is commitment.
LEARN MORE WITH THE PODCAST The words of Captain Volandri
an incredible emotion, Mattarella used touching words towards us and me. very knowledgeable about tennis and follows us – the comment of the Italian captain Filippo Volandri – Now the expectations are higher, as are the responsibilities. Let’s hope today’s meeting is a goodbye. But we shouldn’t expect Jannik to win all the Slams or to win the Davis Cup every year. However, it is very important to convey the message of commitment, hard work and simplicity. And, with a look at the Paris Olympics, which will be played on the Roland Garros field between July and August 2024, he added: A medal? We’ll try, but I don’t know if it will be this year..
The words of Malag and Binaghi
These are the words of the president of CONI, Giovanni Malag: We are here to celebrate Sinner, who has made us proud with style and skill. After 47 years, Sinner together with Musetti, Sonego, Bolelli and Arnaldi have teamed up. The federal path is celebrated, we were in Serie C and we grew with merit. We are in the Olympic year, we return to Paris after 100 years and to Roland Garros. There we won the only Italian medal in tennis. A century has passed, since that day we have been waiting for a medal. We expect even more than one given the results. Instead, Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation: We kept the promise of 2021, when we came with Berrettini after Wimbledon and said that we would return with the Cup. Then Sinner did an extraordinary feat in Melbourne. Davis lets you fight for your comrades and your country, making it fascinating like nothing else. We won with a group of extraordinary guys, as well as great champions. It is a rarity and enhances diversity: the mission is not to win at all costs, but the consequence of spreading tennis and sport.
Corriere della Sera also on Whatsapp. sufficient click here to subscribe to the channel and always be updated.
February 1, 2024 (modified February 1, 2024 | 6:04 pm)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED