The previous Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli let unfastened with deplorable phrases addressed to Jannik Sinner, on a subject that folks deal with superficially and that issues origins, nations of start and, in essence, nearly racist.
“Hi, I’m Nicola Pietrangeli. You may remember me because I played football in the Lazio youth team. Well, I also played a few tennis matches. I wanted to say that Sinner is the best Italian tennis player of all time, and maybe even the best Austrian tennis player,” mentioned Pietrangeli, who emphasised how Jannik (a local German speaker) was born in a city on the border between Italy and Austria and that his native language and habits are extra German-Austrian than Italian.
However I need to bear in mind how the younger Italian has at all times been very proud to signify his nation and to really feel 100% Italian.
Pietrangeli then additionally attacked his countryman Matteo Berrettini: “I personally loved tennis a lot, but compared to these players of today I’m an amateur. But I mean, certainly not a good one. Long live tennis, long live Sinner and let’s also include Berrettini, because otherwise he’ll take it out on me.”
Jannik Sinner, Davis Cup Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
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However the criticisms of the 91-year-old do not finish there. After Italy’s second consecutive Davis Cup success because of the victories of Sinner and Berrettini, the two-time French Open champion defined that their path was not difficult in any respect. The staff led by Filippo Volandri beat Argentina within the quarterfinals, Australia within the semifinals and the Netherlands within the last.
Pietrangeli may be very hooked up to the document of Davis Cup appearances, set because of the 164 matches – 110 in singles and 54 in doubles – performed between 1954 and 1972. Exactly for that reason, the previous Italian tennis participant reminded everybody of the spectacular statistic after the second consecutive success obtained by Italy in an important staff occasion. As has already occurred a number of occasions, Pietrangeli was requested to speak instantly about Sinner.
“Rankings are made at the end of a career. Sinner and the others need three or four lives to beat all my records. Also because I have one that is unbeatable and it is the one linked to the 164 matches played in the Davis Cup. Having said that, to beat all my records, he is on the right path, for goodness sake. He is only 23 years old. Except for the one for matches played, though. That is untouchable,” he added.
Davis Cup Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
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Pietrangeli then expressed his disappointment at not being invited to the awards ceremony for the staff led by Filippo Volandri regardless of being current in Malaga.
“Let me be clear, I don’t want to be controversial, but I’m the one who played the most matches, the Italians won the Davis Cup, I was in Malaga and no one called me for the Italian awards ceremony. I was sorry, to be honest. I think people would have been pleased to see a ninety-one-year-old be there, even just out of curiosity. I was a little disappointed,” he defined.
The staff captained by Volandri received the second Davis Cup in a row, the third in its historical past. A vital aim, in all probability unthinkable till just a few years in the past, achieved because of a bunch of gamers who knew learn how to combine expertise, sacrifice and cohesion.
In the identical interview with Il Messaggero, Pietrangeli was then requested which staff he thought was the strongest between the present one, able to profitable two titles in a row, or his personal that lifted the title in 1976 as captain.
“Don’t ask me mean questions. They are two different teams, both strong. Even the game is totally different: whoever manages to hit the hardest wins. There is little real spectacle, everything is too fast and you don’t have time to think about the shot. It seems to me that this team is much more docile, made up of good guys,” analyzed the 91-year-old.
We recall Pietrangeli received a complete of 48 titles in singles (of which 2 French Open), he performed semifinal at Wimbledon Championships 1960 and quarterfinals on the Australian Open 1957. He received the bronze medal on the 1968 Olympics, when tennis was not an Olympic sport in these years, however solely an exhibition event. Nicola additionally received 11 titles in doubles (together with the French Open 1959) and 12 titles in blended doubles, together with the French Open 1958.
