After defeating Tsitsipas in the ATP finals, the Italian crowd broke into a chant of “Ole,ole,ole” in the background to celebrate Sinner’s win.
Sinner vs. Tsitsipas
In the opening match of the round robin-style tournament, World No. 4 Jannik Sinner put on an impeccable performance and upset his opponent, World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas, in a dominant fashion, 6-4, 6-4.
Sinner dominated the match, racking up 22 winners en route to his 58th career singles victory, which he achieved in an hour and twenty-five minutes. The 22-year-old’s serve was particularly strong, as he recorded nine aces and won 89% of his first-serve points
Following the match, Sinner expressed his satisfaction with his performance, noting that although he anticipated the match to be difficult, he was able to manage the situation efficiently.
“I knew it was going to be very tough but I think I handled the situation well. I tried to stay aggressive and I am very happy with the performance. I am happy to start off with a win and hopefully I can continue with this intensity,” said Sinner, as per the ATP tour.
The Tennis Channel also shared Sinner’s sweet victory on X, writing, “Picking up where he left off 🔥@janniksin moves to 14-1 on indoor hardcourts this year with a straight sets win over Tsitsipas!”
Picking up where he left off 🔥@janniksin moves to 14-1 on indoor hardcourts this year with a straight sets win over Tsitsipas!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/g1u0RPYDdZ
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 12, 2023
Crowd chants “Ole, ole, ole”
In his post-match interview, Sinner was about to answer one of the questions when the crowd suddenly erupted into a chant, “Ole,ole,ole”, to celebrate the Italian’s first win at the ATP finals.
The crowd sang to Jannik Sinner after he won his first match at the ATP Finals. 🇮🇹🥹
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 12, 2023
For a split second, Sinner was rendered speechless at the outpouring of love and affection he was getting from the huge crowd at Pala Alpitour. Then he broke into a wide smile, glanced around, and said ‘Grazie!’.
This cry, which is frequently heard during football games, has its roots in an old Moorish custom of exclaiming “Allah!” whenever a dancer performs with such grace and intensity that, for a split second, they radiate the spirit of Allah, as explained by Writer Elizabeth Gilbert. However, somewhere along the history, the chant “ Allah, Allah” eventually turned to “Ole, Ole”, and was passed along through the generations.
“We play under a roof, so it is noisier, and playing with this crowd is such a special feeling. I tried to be really happy on the court and really focused,” Sinner said.
The match between Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune, both of the Green group, is scheduled to take place following Sinner and Tsitsipa’s match.
Fans react to Sinner’s perspective on the pressure of tennis
Cover Photo: YouTube