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Jannik Sinner has earned backlash from tennis fans after his arrival in Italy following his historic triumph at the recently concluded Australian Open, as the 22-year-old was seen sharing a hug with Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Sinner became the first Italian in history to win the Australian Open on Sunday, coming back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final. Following his triumph, the World No. 4 returned home to a hero's welcome, where he was also called for a meeting with PM Meloni.
Meloni, who assumed office in 2022 as the first female PM of Italy, is a controversial figure who is known for her right-wing views and nationalist policies. The party she belongs to - Fratelli d'Italia - is widely considered a right-wing populist and conservative group that espouses anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortionist and anti-immigrant sentiments.
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During his meeting with PM Meloni, Jannik Sinner was spotted sharing a warm embrace with the politician, which did not go down well with fans on social media.
One fan compared Sinner's interaction with Meloni to a potential meeting between Aryna Sabalenka and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko is another controversial right-wing figure in European politics, often accused of human rights abuses in his country.
The fan opined that Sabalenka would have copped more criticism had she done a similar photo-op with Lukashenko.
"This won’t make noise but imagine if Sabalenka did just 10% of that with Lukashenko," one fan wrote on Twitter (now X).
Another fan was disappointed by the hug Sinner extended to Meloni, stating:
"I understand, as a prominent athlete, meeting with your prime minister who justtt so happens to be a fascist but i do not really understand giving them a hug, quite frankly."
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Jannik Sinner received felicitations from the Bishop of Rome on Australian Open triumph
Jannik Sinner's triumph at the Australian Open earned him felicitations from all corners of Italy. Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome and the head of the Catholic Church, also sent in his best wishes.
The Pope said of Sinner's triumph in Melbourne Park:
"Today we have to congratulate the Italians because, yesterday, they won in Australia. So we congratulate them, too. It would seem that the objective of the game is to be better than the opponent. In tennis, as in life, we can’t always win.
"But it’s an enriching challenge if it is played in an educated manner according to the rules. Sports are not just about competing but also relations. And in the case of tennis, it’s a dialogue that often becomes artistic."
With his victory on Sunday, Jannik Sinner became only the third Italian man to win a Grand Slam title, following in the footsteps of Nicola Pietrangeli and Adriano Panatta.
