Jannik Sinner: Franco Bragagna’s Nostalgia

Veteran RAI commentator Franco Bragagna, in his regular column for *Il Dolomiti*, commented with bitterness on Jannik Sinner’s absence during this final stretch of the tennis season. “Ah, dear Jannick Sinner, obviously your illness has ruined the fall for most of us.”

“Who are ‘us’? Us. Fall is perhaps—I’m looking outside right now—the most melancholic season. But in recent years, there was a tournament here in Asia, there in Asia—Jannik Sinner practically never lost. Those were points earned with an eye toward the Turin Finals above all, and then, in a couple of cases, the Davis Cup, which, as we know, carries less weight. Nevertheless, it was exciting.”

“And from then on, we’d plan our day so that we could… What time is Jannick playing? If he was in Asia at times that were hard to coordinate with other commitments, like school or work. And on top of that, in that case, the fans—not just die-hard tennis fans—were also following, of course, Lorenzo Musetti, who’s a spectacle even when he loses. And then, little by little: Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Berrettini first, Lorenzo Sonego, Matteo Arnaldi—I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few.”

“Now? Yes, the other Italian players are still in the running, too. Let’s add Darderi to the list—he’s playing very, very well. The other Italian players are still in the mix—Flavio Cobolli is right there in the running for a spot in the Finals. But now I’ll ask a little quiz question: Who won the Shanghai tournament? It’s like we’re back to that fall a few years ago, when you’d catch a snippet of a match—on TV, of course—featuring Lorenzo Sonego or Matteo Berrettini.”

“Now it’s all so mundane, or at least that’s how it seems. Sorry, Jannik, you’ve got other things on your mind. But the quiz stands: who won the Shanghai tournament? I’ll do it like a puzzle magazine—the answer in two weeks.”