"I miss them a lot" – Jannik Sinner on how 'Carota Boys' came into being, and their absence in his Wimbledon 3R match

Jannik Sinner's fan group - The Carota Boys have created a buzz at the ongoing Wimbledon Championships. The Italian acknowledged the group's support after his third-round win at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Sinner defeated Quentin Halys 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of Wimbledon on Friday. Sinner took on the Frenchman in front of a packed crowd on Court 3. Sinner's super fans – the Carota Boys, who attended his opening matches, however, were conspicuous by their absence this time around.

The group of men dressed as carrots are often seen following Jannik Sinner around the world, cheering him during his matches. They were first spotted at this year’s Italian Open and also attended the 21-year-old’s ties at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Sinner paid a special tribute to the devoted group after his third-round win over Halys.

“They are not here anymore, unfortunately. But, obviously, I miss them a lot. Ya, maybe they’re watching now (on TV). So, I’m saying hi. Hope you’re very well at home, not working too much,” Jannik Sinner said in his on-court interview.

The Italian proceeded to narrate the incident that led to his hilarious association with carrots. Sinner revealed that it all started following his unusual snacking choice of carrots during his match changeover at the 2019 Vienna Open.

“I played in Vienna (four) years ago, and the match before mine went in the third set and I was very hungry, but before the match I was quite tight. So, I hadn’t had the chance to eat as much and then I said at some point to my coach, ‘I need something to eat.’ And then he brought me a carrot. I ate a carrot and it started off – the Carota Boys,” he stated.

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Jannik Sinner to face Daniel Elahi Galan in the 4th round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Jannik Sinner at the 2023 Championships

Jannik Sinner is into the second week of Wimbledon for the second year in a row. The Italian, who was a quarterfinalist last year, has been tipped as one of the favorites for the title this year.

Sinner started his campaign with a promising victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round. Prior to his four-setter win over Quentin Halys in the third round, he got the better of former World No. 8 Diego Schwartzman 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.

Eighth seed Sinner will now face World No. 85 Daniel Elahi Galan for a spot in the quarterfinals on Sunday. Galan booked his spot in the fourth round with wins over Yoshihito Nishioka, Oscar Otte, and Mikael Ymer.