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Tennis fans were left amused after Jannik Sinner was spotted carrying his 2024 Australian Open trophy in a bag while traveling back home from Melbourne.
Jannik Sinner won his maiden Grand Slam title courtesy a miraculous comeback victory against Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the 2024 Australian Open. Following the win, Sinner spent a day interacting with the media and posing for pictures with the trophy, which is called the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
The Italian has now flown back to his home country, where he has been given a warm reception by fans. Sinner also met with the Prime Minister of Italy, Georgia Meloni, soon after landing.
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However, it was the World No. 4’s journey from Melbourne to Rome that caught people’s eye. One fan on X shared a picture of the Grand Slam champion at the Dubai airport, where he could be seen carrying his trophy [a full-sized replica] in a carry-on bag.
The fan joked about the way Sinner carried his prized possession.
"Things that weren’t on my 2024 bingo card: meeting Jannik Sinner in Dubai airport security as we both sorted out our hand luggage… his carry-on bag being the actual Australian Open trophy (!) made the electronics and liquids in my tray look very unimpressive," the fan wrote.
Several other tennis fans were left amused too, and they shared their reactions.
"Let’s see how long he continues to fly commercial. Hopefully forever so I have a remote chance of running into him," one fan joked on Instagram.
"This is so damn iconic," one person wrote on X, adding, "Jannik Sinner casually carrying around the Australian Open trophy like you or I would carry around our laundry bag is top tier bada*sery."
"He's an icon he's the moment and he carries the AO trophy in a random bag."
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans on X and Instagram:
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner on his historic win as an Italian: "The support I get, it's incredible"
Following his 2024 Australian Open triumph, Jannik Sinner was asked what it meant to represent Italy on the global stage and how his win would impact fellow Italian tennis players.
In response, the 22-year-old acknowledged the support he has been getting from his compatriots.
"It means a lot. Maybe the most important. Because the support I get throughout now already years, it's incredible. Being able to make them happy today, because I feel like that they push me also, that I can believe in myself and then having so much support, it's amazing," the 2023 Davis Cup champion said in his press conference.
When asked whether he was prepared for the recognition he would be getting from being a new Grand Slam champion, Sinner said:
"Yeah, I feel it's part of the game, no? Me, I'm extremely happy that I am in this position now. I have a great team behind me who knows what I have to do."
With the Australian Open title, Jannik Sinner became only the second Italian man in the Open Era and the third overall to lift a Grand Slam trophy. Former World No. 4 Adriano Panatta won the French Open in 1976, while Nicola Pietrangeli won two French Opens in 1959 and 1960.
