They’re doing it again.
By “they,” I mean the Italians. And doing what? Producing yet more champions in tennis, a summertime sport usually reserved for the uber-wealthy.
The Paris Olympics ended in mid-August, the beginning point of the end of summer. So it was inspiring to see Team Italia send not one, but three champions to the podium: A gold in womens’ doubles for Sara Errani and Jazmine Paolini, and a bronze in mens’ singles by Lorenzo Musetti.
(Incidentally, the word “podium” has Greco-Roman roots: It’s from the Greek, “pous” (foot) and also the Latin, “podium,” which means “raised platform.”)
Errani and Paolini defeated the Russian team of Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider. After being defeated by eventual mens’ singles champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Musetti then defeated Canadian Roger Auger-Aliassime in the consolation match to take third place and a medal.
In a near-25 year career, Djokovic finally won something which eluded him for decades: an Olympic gold medal. And he did it by becoming the oldest male player to do it at 37 years old.
Not to be outmatched, the Bologna-born Errani also set the record for the oldest female athlete to win a tennis medal (at 36). She had already endeared herself to fans everywhere at the French Open in 2023 after dedicating a match to her grandmother, who had passed away back in Italy.
Musetti’s win in Paris proved that his making it to the semi-finals of Wimbledon a month earlier was no fluke. His wins have made him the top-ranked Italian male player in the world rankings, second only to Jannik Sinner—who, despite the last name, is also Italian (and currently world #1!).
Back in 2021, even before the mainstream media picked up on it, I wrote a blog on the sudden burst of Italian talent in mens’ tennis. It has gotten stronger. The ladies are ably matching them.
Errani’s win represents a passing of the torch of sorts. As the sports’ elder stateswoman, she is now mentoring younger players like Paolini, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and Marisa Trevisan.
Similarly, Fabio Fognini (38 years old) is mentoring younger players like Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, and Matteo Arnaldi. Fognini’s wife is Flavia Pannetta, winner of the US Open Womens’ Final in 2015.
What sparked this? Some pundits say well-organized youth tournament programs. (So much for the stereotype of disorganized Italians.) Others say a sense of shared national pride. (So much for the stereotype of Italian self-loathing.) Others say it could have been Matteo Berrettini’s second-place finish to Novak Djokovic at the 2021 Wimbledon finals. Matteo came very close to winning.
Interestingly, Berrettini has been beset by injuries since then and is struggling to get back into the Top 25. But, as noted above, plenty of younger players were right there to pick up the slack.
True to form, however, Italian tennis players also have other talents to fall back on.
Berrettini is the face of Hugo Boss, the international mens’ clothing empire. And former player Camila Giorgi, after “retiring” at age 31 last year, has begun her own career in fashion modeling.
Game, set, match and lights, camera, action! -BDC
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