A heartwarming tribute to Jannik Sinner—the letter moves everyone
Today, August 16, Jannik Sinner turns 25, and to mark the occasion, the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation has paid tribute to him with a heartfelt letter: “Dear, dearest Jannik… Many, many warmest wishes on your 25th birthday. Twenty-five—a quarter of a century. A symbolic number, indeed, and an important day that deserves to be celebrated in style. Just as only you know how to do it, with your inimitable style, wherever and however you choose.”
“Dear, dearest Jannik…we—the FITP led by President Binaghi, its executive committee, and all our members (along with the fans)—are grateful that you exist, as we’d say among friends. You know full well that we’ve been waiting for you since time immemorial, we Sunday tennis players: we longed to have an Italian world number one. To see that day. You gave it to us; you fulfilled our wish like the genie in the lamp.”
“You’ve shown that keeping a low profile can be a winning life choice,” the letter continues. “That the pursuit of normalcy is the winning formula. Coupled with an awareness of life’s true values—which aren’t vanity, the pursuit of fame, social media clicks, or whatever else you might add to the list. In short, you’ve shown the way: curiosity, discipline, hard work. In these first 25 years of your career, you’ve had the (well-deserved) honor of facing off against Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. You used those moments as one would use a sponge: you absorbed them, you drank in their greatness, you learned from their movements, and you adapted those lessons to yourself and your talent.”
“Dear, dearest Jannik…this is why Italy loves you and is crazy about you, even though you’ve done nothing to seek honors and fame, or to make headlines and magazine covers. You’ve simply—and always—behaved in a gracious and polite manner. The people, the fans, the enthusiasts have understood this perfectly. They don’t see you as a double-crosser, an opportunist, or a three-card monte con artist. They see you as the real deal: without that killer look, they’ve appreciated the nerdy phenomenon who’s managed to earn respect in life from the bullies with rackets.”
The world’s No. 1 tennis player isn’t the only star celebrating his birthday the day after Ferragosto. The South Tyrolean is in excellent company. On August 16, 1958, Madonna was born—one of the world’s best-known and most beloved musical artists. She’s not the only one. James Cameron, director of absolute masterpieces such as *Terminator*, *Titanic*, and the *Avatar* trilogy, also blows out the candles on August 16 (age 72).
In the world of sports, in addition to Jannik Sinner, it’s also a day of celebration for Kalusha Bwalya, the greatest Zambian soccer player of all time, who turns 63 on August 16. Meanwhile, former Paraguayan soccer star Roque Santa Cruz, who played for Bayern Munich for many years, turns 45. Happy birthday also to Italian sprinter Filippo Dezza, a standout at the European Athletics Championships (born in 2005).
