Cincinnati, August 2025– There are moments in sport that go beyond the result, beyond statistics and beyond the titles. Moments in which a simple phrase, sincerely said, manages to leave a deeper sign of any victory. This is what happened at the Cincinnati Open when Adriano Panatta, legend of Italian tennis and the only compatriot to having won Roland Garros, sent a message to Jannik Sinner after his painful defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

The message, just fifteen words, moved Sinner to tears and triggered an emotional wave throughout the stadium:

“Even if he has lost, I still admire him because he is a great Italian and an extraordinary player.”

Sinner arrived at the American tournament with great expectations. After a season full of ups and downs, Cincinnati represented the ideal opportunity to demonstrate once again that he could compete with the best. The semifinal against Alcaraz was expected as a classic of the future: two young champions ready to challenge each other on the world stage.

But that evening things did not go as hoped. Despite a brilliant beginning, Sinner lost concentration in the key moments. Alcaraz took advantage of every minimal indecision, closing the meeting in three fought sets. For the public, it was a spectacular challenge; For Sinner, a wound difficult to heal.

And this is where Adriano Panatta enters the scene. From his home to Rome, the former champion followed the game on television. It was not the first time that he expressed admiration for Sinner, but this time he felt the need to go further. He took the phone and sent that short but very powerful message, which would soon become viral.

When Jannik read him in the changing rooms, he could not hold back his tears. According to sources close to the player, it was a moment of breakage: the disappointment turned into gratitude.

A few minutes later, against each protocol, Sinner returned to the Cincinnati central field. The public was already starting to flow out, but suddenly the lights rekindled and the Italian took the microphone. In an voice broken by emotion he said:

«It is the first time I receive a gesture so from a legend of our sport. These words touched my heart. I promise that I will continue to fight, not only for me, but also for those who believe in me. I ask you to support me, as you always did ».

His words were welcomed by a thunderous applause. The American fans, who had exulted for the victory of Alcaraz shortly before, stood up to pay the young Italian an unforgettable ovation.

Reached by journalists a few hours later, Panatta explained the genesis of her gesture:

«When I saw Jannik losing, I saw myself as a young man. I know that pain well, that lack of missed occasion. But I also know that the champions are born from those defeats. I wanted to remind him that it is not only the result that defines him, but his greatness as a person and as an athlete ».

In a few hours, Panatta’s message has gone around the world. The hashtag#ForzajannikIt has become viral in Italy, while in the United States the story was taken up by Espn and other large sports networks.

Many fans have underlined how modern tennis, often dominated by statistics and media pressure, needs authentic moments like this. On X (ex Twitter) a user wrote:“Panatta reminded all of us that sport is first of all humanity.”

Experts now wonder if this episode can become a turning point in Sinner’s career. It is not uncommon for an emotional moment to change the path of an athlete: from Federer after the final lost with Nadal to Melbourne 2009, to Djokovic after the first years of criticism and accidents.

For Sinner, Panatta’s message could represent the spark necessary to face future challenges with new force.

Beyond the news, the image of two generations united by an invisible thread remains. On the one hand Panatta, the hero of the 1970s, a symbol of an Italy that for the first time dreamed of tennis in the big one. On the other Sinner, the young man who carries the hopes of a new era on his shoulders.

Fifteen words united their destinies in an evening that will hardly be forgotten. It doesn’t matter if Cincinnati did not give the trophy: for Jannik, that game will still remain a victory of the heart.