Jannik Sinner's US Open title win was watched by a large audience in his native Italy, becoming the country's most-viewed tennis match ever.
Sinner defeated Taylor Fritz in a one-sided final on Sunday to win his second Grand Slam title. He also secured the Australian Open title at the start of the year and became the world No. 1.
Unsurprisingly, since winning the Australian Open, Sinner's has become a worldwide name. The 23-year-old has had to learn how to manage being known to millions of people since reaching the top of the sport.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander thinks Sinner's popularity will continue to grow because of his humility. The Italian always comes across as a class act in interviews.
Some fans on social media complained before the Sinner vs. Fritz final that it was an uninteresting matchup that would not draw large viewing figures. However, that complaint certainly does not apply to Italian households.
Sinner's US Open triumph was watched by 1 million and 788 thousand viewers in Italy. His post-match interview with the local broadcaster SuperTennis TV also attracted 622,273 viewers.
The number of people who watched the US Open final is the highest ever for a tennis match in Italy. That incredible number demonstrates how much Sinner inspires people in his home country with his performances.
Sinner touched on the support he received from people watching in Italy during the trophy ceremony before those numbers were released and thanked those on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the atmosphere they created.
"I know there are a lot of people watching from home. But I’d like to thank everyone for being so fair in this amazing arena. It was a huge pleasure.”
Although Sinner has been playing great tennis throughout the year, he had low expectations heading into the US Open after the news of his two positive tests for the banned substance clostebol became public a few days before the start of the tournament.
The world No. 1 was cleared of wrongdoing and avoided a ban. However, it was still a stressful time for him. The world becoming aware of the situation would undoubtedly have been challenging, especially since many were unhappy with how the case was handled.
Sinner surprised himself, as well as many fans and analysts, by storming to the US Open title. When asked about his initially low expectations before the event, he discussed how taking it day by day helped him stay focused.
"I did pretty well I guess? We just went day by day. Trying to practice well in the days off. Believing in ourself which is more important. I understood how important the mental part is in this sport. I’m very happy and proud to share this with my team."
Winning the US Open after what he went through was an incredible achievement. Sinner is enjoying some much-needed time off after his time in New York before beginning the upcoming Asian swing in Beijing. That tournament begins on 23 September.