Jannik Sinner: Controversy Over the Exodus from the ATP Finals Following the Italian Player’s Withdrawal

Jannik Sinner’s absence from the ATP Finals is sparking a surge in resales of tickets for the ATP Finals, the Masters tournament to be held at the end of the year in Turin featuring the world’s top eight tennis players. Everyone had expected the Italian star to compete, but he was instead forced to throw in the towel due to his well-known knee injury and will not return to the court until 2027.

Following Tuesday’s announcement, posts offering tickets to ATP Finals matches have proliferated on social media and specialized platforms. Hundreds of people are reselling tickets, with prices ranging from 150 euros to 560 euros. One user even put a ticket to the final up for sale, priced at over 900 euros.

The phenomenon has sparked controversy online, with some accusing Jannik Sinner’s fans of being casual tennis fans who only get excited when the South Tyrolean wins. Among the eight participants, there could in fact be another Italian, Flavio Cobolli, who, however, has little chance of winning.

Here are some of the comments circulating on social media: “The hundreds of people in Italy selling tickets for the Finals are yet another sign that there are so many who don’t love this sport,” “They’re only rooting for him because there’s an Italian—Sinner: it’s understandable, but that’s how it is,” “Indignation over something usually stems from an unpleasant surprise. But why be surprised here? It was entirely predictable that the vast majority of those who had bought tickets for the Finals were going to see Sinner,” “It’s been less than 10 hours since #Sinner withdrew, and I’ve already received at least five calls asking for clarification about the tickets—it’s all extremely sad.”

“I’ll go against the grain, but I absolutely agree because if I had to spend this money only to end up watching De Minaur or Shelton or anyone else from the current embarrassing top 10, I think I’d risk getting arrested,” “What’s so strange about someone going just to see Sinner? Maybe it seems strange to you, but the greatest athletes are the ones who draw crowds even among non-fans,” “If you decide to spend that much money on tickets to a tournament just ‘because you’re hoping to see Sinner,’ then you’re an a…hole,” “If you love tennis, you’ll go see two of the top 8 players in the world anyway, so I don’t see why they should sell tickets.”