Simone Giannelli sees himself again in Jannik Sinner: "I have one thing in common with him"

Both originally from the autonomous province of Bolzano, Simone Giannelli and Jannik Sinner have been two major players in their respective sports this 2025: the former has won the World Cup with the national team and with his own club (Perugia), as well as the Volleyball Nations League still in the Azzurri jersey and the Champions League with that of the Umbrian club, while the latter is one of the two dominators of the international tennis scene (along with Carlos Alcaraz) and in the calendar year that is about to come to a close has won two Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open and Wimbledon), as well as the ATP Finals.

But origins and great sporting achievements are not the only commonalities between the two: Giannelli himself, speaking to ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’ explained that he sees himself in Sinner for another characteristic. “I admire him a lot, I think the thing we have in common is ’balance– he said. We have no excesses when we win or lose. I am glad he helped elevate tennis and take it to another dimension. Now everyone has become a fan and it is beautiful. It is a sport I love, I&#8217ve played it for more than 10 years”. Giannelli also revealed that he would like to meet Sinner, so he could have a chat with the outfielder from Sesto Pusteria.

Francesco Lucivero

In the meantime, Sinner is gearing up for the 2025 edition of the Australian Open, a tournament he has won the past two years by beating first Daniil Medvedev and then Alexander Zverev in the final. Before that, however, the South Tyrolean will face Carlos Alcaraz in an eagerly awaited exhibition match in Seoul, capital of South Korea, on Jan. 10 while on Jan. 14 he will be among the protagonists of the AO 1 Point Slam, a particular tournament involving professionals and amateurs, who will compete in one-point matches that could hold quite a few surprises, giving the eventual winner a million Australian dollars (about 560 thousand euros).

The Australian Open is the first of a series of events that will take place in the Australian Open.

Giannelli, on the other hand, will have little time to enjoy his triumph at the World Club Volleyball Championships, in which Perugia defeated Osaka Bluteon 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 29-27) in the final.

On Boxing Day, Sir will play in the league against Cisterna, away from home, while on Dec. 30 he will face Lube Civitanova in the Italian Cup quarterfinals.

In spite of different calendars and disciplines, Giannelli and Sinner really seem to share the ability to stay focused at the top, without getting overwhelmed by either euphoria or difficulties. It is a balance that has made them symbols of Italian sports in 2025 and one that they will both strive to maintain in the near future.