(Rome) Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner was cheered on his return home to Italy as state broadcaster RAI broadcast live his arrival at Rome airport.
Sinner, dressed in a black hoodie and carrying his orange racket bag on his shoulders, also carried a green bag with gold straps in which was presumably the Australian Open trophy.
Sinner was due to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni late Tuesday.
By erasing a two-set deficit to defeat Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final on Sunday, Sinner became the first Italian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title in nearly 50 years – since Adriano Panatta’s triumph at the International France in 1976.
In November, Sinner also led Italy to their first Davis Cup since 1976.
Sinner will participate in a press conference called on Wednesday by the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, Angelo Binaghi. Then he and his Davis Cup teammates are scheduled to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday.
On Monday, Pope Francis welcomed Sinner’s victory in Australia.