Winner Sinner
Hall of Fame
Nice interview given by Diego Nargiso who analyzes Jannik Sinner in 360 degrees from his perspective.
Neapolitan Nargiso, former promise of Italian tennis, winner of an edition of junior Wimbledon at the end of the 80s, and then doubles specialist with Gaudenzi who gave so much satisfaction to Italian tennis in the Davis Cup in the 90s, currently relegated to interviewing the winners at the end of the their match in the ATP Finals.
Any particular signs?
A marked resemblance to the Italian-American actor Nicolas Cage.
Diego in Turin you had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in contact with Sinner, I imagine that you too were very impressed
"This path started in 2019 when Jannik began his journey. I believed in it from the first day, when I saw him play in Bergamo and win his first Challenger, up until the triumph at the Next Gen in Milan, passing through the Internazionali di Roma. Already then I said that this boy would be number one in the world, I said loudly and confidently because, in addition to his tactical-technical ability, he had an absolute balance which for an 18 year old boy was, and is, something. unique and incredible."
In short, did you immediately realize the differences between Jannik and the other young hopefuls?
"Usually kids have much more enthusiasm, they live life with great drives. He, on the other hand, had an incredible ability to balance and be able to observe the situations on the pitch, as if he were a third person. He had the right attitude towards the victory and defeat. There was no doubt that with this and his mentality, a truly explosive cocktail, he would become number one in the world."
So you weren't surprised by his sudden rise to the top of the ATP rankings?
"Absolutely, I have always supported him. He took the time he wanted, 4-5 years, and then in Turin he demonstrated everything with an ease that was embarrassing for the others. A simplicity in winning with categories of difference compared to his opponents The truly impressive moment was when he beat Ruud 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-final: for all intents and purposes the ATP number 6 looked like a player from three lower categories. This makes you understand that the difference is usually very small between high players level, it instead turned into an abysmal gap. And from there the emotion of understanding that for this player it is not a temporary situation: he will be someone who will compete every time he competes for the next 10 years. an important title."
But is he stronger in your opinion technically or mentally?
"Mentally he is clearly the strongest of all. At 23 he is stronger than Nadal, Djokovic and Federer at his same age. Probably only Borg had similar mental strength, even if his had greatly imploded in the sense that he managed to manage it with serious consequences that then came out. He didn't do it with the serenity of Jannik. He has the greatest talent in this of all time, at least since I remember: from the 80s onwards, at the level. mental, head and capacity for resilience, for reacting to problems, for learning from mistakes. All those skills that are fundamental for a champion and in which he is second to none."
Jannik's season on the other hand was impressive, there is no room for discussion.
"The absolute value of a player is not counted in one-on-one matches because there are bêtes noires, players who cause more trouble than others. Instead, the results during the year are counted, on a general level. If it is true that Carlos is ahead in direct comparisons, he ended this year with an abysmal difference in points: they won two Slams for one, but Jannik scored 5 thousand points more, something never seen before between first and third in the ranking."
So what could be the pitfalls for Sinner?
"Everyone today considers Sinner the example to follow. And this will be the new challenge because everyone will try to get closer, learning from him. Because during the most important tournaments this boy goes looking for improvements, tactics, not when he is at home, but daily. Everyone is following in his wake."
You interviewed Sinner many times on the pitch, and you always found yourself pleasantly dealing with the fans' chants. How do you describe those moments?
"It's a great emotion when you're close to great champions, because I was lucky enough to do it with Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and the greatest in the world. There's even more emotion when you have one of your compatriots, such a young and special boy, who has now truly become an idol. But I have to tell you that that boy puts a serenity in you... That's how you see him and he transmits a disarming simplicity and serenity to you. It's part of his character, of his being a person calm, simple. When the choir starts, I know that the fans would have done it and that I would have stopped in the interview, as Jannik also knows, but he still gets excited because 15 thousand people singing his name give him things very strong ones that I too have experienced in the past, details".
Wonderful scenes, with the fans and the player becoming one.
"There is an incredible connection, the energy in a sports hall is even stronger. At a cellular level we exchange these waves of which we are made at an energetic level. There is a wave of enthusiasm and happiness so great that Jannik almost feels like laughing, it's so engaging. This guy here undoubtedly manages to involve everyone in his simplicity, in his game, in his frankness and serenity. He is truly beautiful because of his greatness It has a disarming simplicity. He doesn't do anything special: you find yourself inside his world without him even saying a word to you."
In Italy there is now a very strong Sinner effect, even at youth level, with excessive attention at youth level to results. What are the difficulties in the transition from Junior to Pro also in light of your experience?
"First of all, at Junior level, results count for very little. Everything is worth it: you can be strong as a junior and then break through, or not even become a professional. This can be seen if I put two 14-year-old boys up against each other, with totally opposite developments, perhaps one is already at 70 percent of maturation and the other at 30. So in a match the first boy beats the other and we think he can have a better chance of finishing, whereas if we knew what level of general maturation ha, we would immediately understand that perhaps the other one can become stronger because he is only at 30 percent of his potential."
What was the best episode that happened to you in this edition of the Turin Finals, which particularly moved you?
"This year has been very peaceful and very beautiful. I really liked the contact with the people at the Fan Village. Every day my TV, Supertennis, decided to do the talk on stage with the nearby supporters, just to be more in contact with them. A continuous party with thousands of people: this was the most beautiful thing I have heard in many years. Among all these people of all ages, I had a wonderful meeting with a lady, about 85 years old who was with his nephew. I thought that the nephew wanted an autograph and instead it was she who remembered me, she had seen me play on television and I was terrible because I was nervous etc. It was the thing that touched me the most because think about what Sinner will mean to all these people my little boy, I played for many years in the national team and many followed me and identified with me. The best thing in life is to leave your mark among people and leave this memory for an athlete, the way I am and for how it is made Jannik, that's awesome. He too realizes that he is reaching out to people and leaving an important mark. They are priceless things, the most beautiful there are."
"Future potential is something impossible to establish, except with the experience of a coach or a former player, an observer who cannot be. I am someone who is fortunate to have always seen strong players when young, with a sensitivity such as to recognize who could do certain things is a skill that is in my head. What I say is that until the maturation of a player is in progress, everything else is our inference, our sensation. sensitivity to a baseless situation generalize, and therefore give false information to the athlete".
Neapolitan Nargiso, former promise of Italian tennis, winner of an edition of junior Wimbledon at the end of the 80s, and then doubles specialist with Gaudenzi who gave so much satisfaction to Italian tennis in the Davis Cup in the 90s, currently relegated to interviewing the winners at the end of the their match in the ATP Finals.
Any particular signs?
A marked resemblance to the Italian-American actor Nicolas Cage.
Diego in Turin you had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in contact with Sinner, I imagine that you too were very impressed
"This path started in 2019 when Jannik began his journey. I believed in it from the first day, when I saw him play in Bergamo and win his first Challenger, up until the triumph at the Next Gen in Milan, passing through the Internazionali di Roma. Already then I said that this boy would be number one in the world, I said loudly and confidently because, in addition to his tactical-technical ability, he had an absolute balance which for an 18 year old boy was, and is, something. unique and incredible."
In short, did you immediately realize the differences between Jannik and the other young hopefuls?
"Usually kids have much more enthusiasm, they live life with great drives. He, on the other hand, had an incredible ability to balance and be able to observe the situations on the pitch, as if he were a third person. He had the right attitude towards the victory and defeat. There was no doubt that with this and his mentality, a truly explosive cocktail, he would become number one in the world."
So you weren't surprised by his sudden rise to the top of the ATP rankings?
"Absolutely, I have always supported him. He took the time he wanted, 4-5 years, and then in Turin he demonstrated everything with an ease that was embarrassing for the others. A simplicity in winning with categories of difference compared to his opponents The truly impressive moment was when he beat Ruud 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-final: for all intents and purposes the ATP number 6 looked like a player from three lower categories. This makes you understand that the difference is usually very small between high players level, it instead turned into an abysmal gap. And from there the emotion of understanding that for this player it is not a temporary situation: he will be someone who will compete every time he competes for the next 10 years. an important title."
But is he stronger in your opinion technically or mentally?
"Mentally he is clearly the strongest of all. At 23 he is stronger than Nadal, Djokovic and Federer at his same age. Probably only Borg had similar mental strength, even if his had greatly imploded in the sense that he managed to manage it with serious consequences that then came out. He didn't do it with the serenity of Jannik. He has the greatest talent in this of all time, at least since I remember: from the 80s onwards, at the level. mental, head and capacity for resilience, for reacting to problems, for learning from mistakes. All those skills that are fundamental for a champion and in which he is second to none."
Jannik's season on the other hand was impressive, there is no room for discussion.
"The absolute value of a player is not counted in one-on-one matches because there are bêtes noires, players who cause more trouble than others. Instead, the results during the year are counted, on a general level. If it is true that Carlos is ahead in direct comparisons, he ended this year with an abysmal difference in points: they won two Slams for one, but Jannik scored 5 thousand points more, something never seen before between first and third in the ranking."
So what could be the pitfalls for Sinner?
"Everyone today considers Sinner the example to follow. And this will be the new challenge because everyone will try to get closer, learning from him. Because during the most important tournaments this boy goes looking for improvements, tactics, not when he is at home, but daily. Everyone is following in his wake."
You interviewed Sinner many times on the pitch, and you always found yourself pleasantly dealing with the fans' chants. How do you describe those moments?
"It's a great emotion when you're close to great champions, because I was lucky enough to do it with Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and the greatest in the world. There's even more emotion when you have one of your compatriots, such a young and special boy, who has now truly become an idol. But I have to tell you that that boy puts a serenity in you... That's how you see him and he transmits a disarming simplicity and serenity to you. It's part of his character, of his being a person calm, simple. When the choir starts, I know that the fans would have done it and that I would have stopped in the interview, as Jannik also knows, but he still gets excited because 15 thousand people singing his name give him things very strong ones that I too have experienced in the past, details".
Wonderful scenes, with the fans and the player becoming one.
"There is an incredible connection, the energy in a sports hall is even stronger. At a cellular level we exchange these waves of which we are made at an energetic level. There is a wave of enthusiasm and happiness so great that Jannik almost feels like laughing, it's so engaging. This guy here undoubtedly manages to involve everyone in his simplicity, in his game, in his frankness and serenity. He is truly beautiful because of his greatness It has a disarming simplicity. He doesn't do anything special: you find yourself inside his world without him even saying a word to you."
In Italy there is now a very strong Sinner effect, even at youth level, with excessive attention at youth level to results. What are the difficulties in the transition from Junior to Pro also in light of your experience?
"First of all, at Junior level, results count for very little. Everything is worth it: you can be strong as a junior and then break through, or not even become a professional. This can be seen if I put two 14-year-old boys up against each other, with totally opposite developments, perhaps one is already at 70 percent of maturation and the other at 30. So in a match the first boy beats the other and we think he can have a better chance of finishing, whereas if we knew what level of general maturation ha, we would immediately understand that perhaps the other one can become stronger because he is only at 30 percent of his potential."
What was the best episode that happened to you in this edition of the Turin Finals, which particularly moved you?
"This year has been very peaceful and very beautiful. I really liked the contact with the people at the Fan Village. Every day my TV, Supertennis, decided to do the talk on stage with the nearby supporters, just to be more in contact with them. A continuous party with thousands of people: this was the most beautiful thing I have heard in many years. Among all these people of all ages, I had a wonderful meeting with a lady, about 85 years old who was with his nephew. I thought that the nephew wanted an autograph and instead it was she who remembered me, she had seen me play on television and I was terrible because I was nervous etc. It was the thing that touched me the most because think about what Sinner will mean to all these people my little boy, I played for many years in the national team and many followed me and identified with me. The best thing in life is to leave your mark among people and leave this memory for an athlete, the way I am and for how it is made Jannik, that's awesome. He too realizes that he is reaching out to people and leaving an important mark. They are priceless things, the most beautiful there are."
"Future potential is something impossible to establish, except with the experience of a coach or a former player, an observer who cannot be. I am someone who is fortunate to have always seen strong players when young, with a sensitivity such as to recognize who could do certain things is a skill that is in my head. What I say is that until the maturation of a player is in progress, everything else is our inference, our sensation. sensitivity to a baseless situation generalize, and therefore give false information to the athlete".

