Simone Giannelli has this to say about Jannik Sinner: “First they judged him, and now…”

Volleyball star Simone Giannelli, in an interview on the Bsmt podcast, spoke about tennis champion Jannik Sinner—also from South Tyrol and also capable of reaching the pinnacle of his sport: “The air we breathe is good; there’s no doubt about it. We grew up in South Tyrol, a border region, made up of people who might have a German-speaking father and an Italian mother.”

“In my case, since I have an Italian last name, people didn’t make a big deal out of it, whereas with him—who speaks German at home—they immediately started judging him. That makes me laugh, because it used to happen when Jannik lost; now that he’s winning, everyone is loudly declaring their desire to be Italian like him. This happens because Italy lacks a serious sports culture—in the sense that people rely too much on results,” explained the captain of the Italian national team.

“Seeing how far he’s come, what he’s doing, and knowing where he was born—it’s incredible,” continued Giannelli. “He’s earning it all, not just for what he wins, but also for how he’s doing it: it’s amazing because he’s setting a great example for everyone—old, young, and children alike. Even in interviews, the calmness with which he answers questions is enviable; because sometimes journalists ask uncomfortable questions, and he knows how to deflect them, perhaps with one of his smiles.”

Sinner advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon after last Sunday’s victory over Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki: the Italian, who today faces Struff for a spot in the semifinals of the London Grand Slam, must defend the title he won last season.