At some point, the magnificent Italian tennis school, unique in its history, exemplary in current times, had to take shape.
Davis Cup champion in 1976, champion then and never again – so much time has passed since the years of Panatta, Barazzutti and Bertolucci – the Italian academy has traveled a long journey through the desert before reaching the splendor it lives in these days .
In a flash, Jannik Sinner (22), stony in his manner, skinny and red-haired, a tennis player who had abandoned alpine skiing because he was too tall to avoid doors, has become the cornerstone of a project full of possibilities: a On his side shine Berrettini, Musetti, Arnaldi, Sonego and Bolelli, a range of good swords of current tennis.
These days in Malaga (this Sunday it became known that the Davis Cup finals will be held again in 2024), it was all about talent on Filippo Volandri's bench, the middle class of tennis when he was struggling at the beginning of the century (25th in the ATP in 2007) who today captains Italy, new Davis champion.
In 2023, the resources of the blue team have been infinite.
If Musetti had faltered against Kecmanovic (as in the semifinals against the Serbs), then Sinner emerged and corrected the drift.
If Djokovic himself had to be knocked down, then go for him, he was gone.
The truth is that this Sunday's final has not reached such excessive, dramatic overtones.
Against the Australians – so powerful in other times: 28 titles are in their showcases, although they have not picked up a salad bowl since 2003 –, Sinner has not had to multiply as he had done the day before.
Matteo Arnaldi (22 years old, currently 44th in the world) had paved the way for him. He had done it at the opening of the day, when he had used his craft and efficiency to knock down Alexei Popyrin (24 years old, 40th in the ATP) in a match as flat as it was well resolved by the Italian: 7-5, 2-6 and 6-4.
Then Sinner caught the glove on the fly.
He had done it from the first moment, playing with the sufficiency with which he has been feeling these days, very solid on the fast synthetic of Martín Carpena, to devour Alex de Miñaur, a Next Gen who has never risen to the top. world tennis: 6-3 and 6-0.
