Jannik Sinner's private jet quickly flies back as politician apologises to Wimbledon champ
Jannik Sinner has received an apology from Italy's Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, for the absence of Italian officials during his historic Wimbledon victory. The 23-year-old has since quietly slipped back home to Monte Carlo after dodging fans and reporters at an Italian airport.
Sinner triumphed on Centre Court at the All England Club last Sunday, overcoming Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling match 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to become Italy's first Wimbledon singles champion and avenge his French Open heartbreak.
Whilst his family was there to support him, no Italian dignitaries were present, unlike King Felipe VI of Spain, who was present to support Alcaraz.
Following this oversight, Minister Abodi issued an apology amid details emerging of Sinner's return to his lavish Monte Carlo home and upcoming celebration plans.
As reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, Abodi expressed his regret over the unfortunate situation and detailed his personal experience watching Sinner's victory from afar.
"How did I experience Sinner's Wimbledon victory? With great emotion, from a distance, because, unlike so many other times, this time I didn't go. Even a minister sometimes has to stop, needs to stop, to spend a day with his family," he explained.
"It's disappointing that the Italian institutions are absent. I think the most important thing is to be able to celebrate an achievement that brings everyone together. It can happen that the institutions are absent, and that's what happened here.
"We're sorry about that because it would have been much nicer to be there, but sometimes we too have life circumstances that prevent us from doing so, and I don't think this deserves a judgment that, all things considered, distracts from the great joy that should unite us all. The most important thing is to celebrate Jannik's victory."
Regarding whether Sinner will receive official honours from President Sergio Mattarella or Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Abodi mentioned potential festivities, emphasising the importance of coordinating with institutional schedules and Sinner's own sporting commitments.
"Every victory has been celebrated, so I'm sure there will be one," he remarked. "The issue is simply finding common ground between the institutional agenda and, above all, Jannik's sporting agenda, which is our priority.
"When he's ready, when he can, when he wants, we'll certainly all be here ready to welcome him, to embrace him, and to truly embrace the Cup he deservedly won in London."
In the meantime, Sinner and his family departed London via private jet. Landing in Bolzano, northern Italy, the 23-year-old tennis star caused a bit of a stir as he didn't step out to meet fans upon arrival, reports the Express.
Reports indicate he left Northolt Airport on Monday afternoon and reached Bolzano around 5:00pm local time. Despite a few journalists and fans eagerly awaiting his arrival at the airport, some armed with memorabilia for him to sign, Sinner was nowhere to be seen in the airport lobby.
After bidding farewell to his parents from the aircraft, he promptly headed back to Nice. Sinner is set to return to his residence in Monte Carlo for a bit of downtime as his parents dive straight back into their daily routine, managing Haus Sinner, their bed and breakfast nestled at the base of the Dolomites.
Even after clinching an epic victory at SW19, Sinner's homecoming celebrations appear to be modest. Reports suggest that he might visit his alpine birthplace of Sexten to relax and enjoy some table tennis with friends before gearing up for the US Open.
The mayor of Sexten, Thomas Summerer, explained: "It's incredible, these are historic moments for all of us, for Sesto, for all of South Tyrol, for all of Italy, but Jannik has so many commitments: thinking of a celebration is very difficult, perhaps we could organize something in the future."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak could be denied two dream Liverpool shirt numbers by struggling pair
Alexander Isak is being targeted by Liverpool this summer, and if he were to join the Reds then there are couple of currently filled shirt numbers he could he eyeing up As far as bold transfer window moves go, Liverpool's move for Alexander Isak is right up there. The Reds have expressed their desire to bring Newcastle's top scorer to Anfield in a £120million deal, and while they know the Magpies don't want to sell their prized asset, all eyes are now on Isak to see how he responds to the idea of joining the champions. If he's up for it, then he's likely to make it clear to his club that he wants to make the switch. Newcastle won't take kindly to that of course, but they will have to consider their next move carefully if that was the case. Unfortunately for them, Liverpool appear to have blocked that route too. The Magpies have had a bid rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt for their forward Hugo Ekitike, a player who is also being monitored by the Reds, who reportedly made an approach for him on Wednesday. If the Isak deal can't be done then Ekitike would appear to be top of Liverpool's list as an alternative, with the Reds effectively calling Newcastle's bluff over the message that they want to have both forwards on their books. It is all set up for a fascinating few days in the transfer window, and should Isak arrive at Anfield then he would do so as the club's record signing, quickly replacing June arrival Florian Wirtz. And as with Wirtz - who is donning a temporary shirt number during pre-season, along with the other five new arrivals this summer - there is sure to be plenty of attention on the number that Isak wears on his back. The 25-year-old sports the No.14 shirt for Newcastle, which at Liverpool currently belongs to Federico Chiesa following his arrival from Juventus last summer. The Italian has underwhelmed during his time on Merseyside and is said to be open to a switch back to Italy in order to resurrect a career which has been railroaded by injuries. If he did go, then the No.14 could be available for Isak. Far more likely, however, if that Isak would take the No.9 shirt once Darwin Nunez departs Liverpool this summer. The Uruguayan has seen a potential route to an exit blocked after Napoli pulled out of a deal, but he is expected to bring an end to his three seasons on Merseyside - two of which have been in the No.9 shirt, with one wearing No.27 - in the coming weeks.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: How Liverpool can afford to break their transfer record twice in the same window as the Reds 'eye £120m swoop for Alexander Isak'
The record-breaking sums Liverpool are spending this summer has raised questions among rival fans as the Premier League champions prepare to submit their next big-money offer. After months of quiet speculation, Tuesday brought chatter over the Reds interest in Newcastle's Alexander Isak to the light in spectacular fashion, with reports indicting that the Anfield club are preparing a £120million bid. Ignoring for a moment the Magpies' refusal to entertain a sale, a move of that size would see the Reds break the British transfer record for a second time this summer - having paid £116m to bring Florian Wirtz to Merseyside. In addition to the German, Liverpool have spent a further £65m on the acquisitions of Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili. It's a level of spending that is unprecedented for a club that, perhaps wrongly, is regarded as one of the most frugal at the elite level. This perception, contrasted with the comparatively ordinary market behavior of their rivals in England and Europe, has raised questions over the club's financial position, particularly with respect to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules. But there is little reason to resort to conspiracy. The answer is rather straightforward: Liverpool are one of the highest revenue-generating clubs in world football, coming off a very successful season in which they spent barely anything. The club is forecasted to make a profit for the 2024-25 campaign, a season in which they signed only Federico Chiesa from Juventus. The Italian arrived for a guaranteed fee of £10m, spread over his four-year contract, resulting in an amortisation cost of £2.5m. Liverpool also returned to the Champions League during this period and pocketed more than £85m, with an impressive League Phase offsetting earnings missed out on by their early last-16 exit. Then comes the league campaign which is estimated to have earned the club around £185m, thanks to their fees from domestic and international markets, equal share payments and prize money. The Reds have also continued to be impressive sellers. Already this summer, academy graduates Jarell Quansah and Caoimhin Kelleher have been sold for £30m and £18m respectively. These sales, in addition to the fees expected for the likes of Harvey Elliot and Tyler Morton, who have also been linked with moves, represent pure profit. Liverpool also have a couple of high value assets in their squad, namely Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. While the Reds have been adamant that the Colombian is not for sale and have rebuffed several approaches from clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Nunez is clearly available. The Anfield club could not agree on a fee with Napoli for the striker but reported interest from Saudi Arabia increases the likelihood that they will recoup a sizeable portion of the £85m spent to sign him in 2022. Liverpool need to secure a £31.8m fee before it can record profits, as the 26-year-old signed a six-year contract prior to the Premier League and UEFA capping amortisation at five years. Premier League clubs are permitted to incur losses of up to £105m over a three-year period, with deductions allowed for investments in infrastructure, the academy, women's team and community initiatives. From 2021-22 to 2023-24, after allowable deductions referenced by football finance expert Swiss Ramble, the Reds had a positive PSR position of £48m, which when added to the permitted amount, gave Slot's side headroom of £153m. Given that revenue for the 2024-25 season is likely to exceed £700m, and some estimates claim that the Reds could post profits as high as £50m, the club could theoretically spend another £200m in the window and still be PSR compliant. If Isak was to sign for £120m his amortised transfer fee would be £24m per year and take the total amortised costs to around £62m. Wages have continued to rise at the club as star players have aged while continuing to perform at high level. But this too raises little concern, even with the figure projected to top £400m, given their strong financial situation.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool to make next move in £125m Alexander Isak transfer chase on one condition
Liverpool have opened talks over a move for Alexander Isak, who Newcastle insist is not for sale and would cost more than £125million to prise away from St James' Park Liverpool are ready to launch a record-breaking bid for Alexander Isak if they receive encouragement from Newcastle. Isak, 25, has rocketed to the top of the Reds' summer shopping list as his long-term future at St James' Park remains uncertain. Newcastle are adamant that their star striker is not for sale, with three years left to run on his contract. Eddie Howe's side have reportedly been trying to tie Isak down to a new and improved deal which would help deter interest. Rumblings of Liverpool's admiration became louder this week when it emerged that the Premier League champions had made an approach for Isak, who'd cost more than £125million. Despite that British-record asking price, Liverpool's intentions are clear. According to the Mail, the Reds will pursue a deal if they receive encouragement that a move is on the cards. Isak remains happy on Tyneside, despite talks over a new contract stalling earlier this year prior to the departure of director of football Paul Mitchell. The former Real Sociedad starlet is currently with Newcastle's squad in Austria for their pre-season training camp and could soon be joined by a new team-mate. Eintracht Frankfurt hotshot Hugo Ekitike - who's also of interest to Liverpool which could muddy the waters - has already been the subject of a £70m bid from Newcastle. It's added that Frankfurt are demanding £86m for the Frenchman, who Newcastle came close to signing in 2022 before he chose to join Paris Saint-Germain. It didn't work out at PSG, so Ekitike moved to Frankfurt on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season. After a promising spell, Eintracht signed the 23-year-old permanently for just £14.3m and he scored 22 goals as well as registering 12 assists in 46 appearances last term. Newcastle want Ekitike to play alongside Isak, who's Liverpool's first-choice target as they bid to sign a new striker this summer. How much should Liverpool be willing to pay for Alexander Isak? Have your say in the comments section. Arne Slot and Co. have discussed a number of options both at home and abroad. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who Manchester United have been linked with, and Yoane Wissa of Brentford, a target for Nottingham Forest, are claimed to be on their shortlist. Victor Osimhen was also mentioned during talks with Napoli before the Italian champions pulled out of a move for Darwin Nunez. Even United wantaway Marcus Rashford was a name which was reportedly floated during one conversation at Anfield.
