The three-time Olympic diving gold medalist defends Jannik: “He is very similar to me, in some ways he is even better. No to Davis? It’s right to stop, you can’t play every day without a break.”

More than once, Klaus Dibiasi, gold medalist in three consecutive Olympics in platform diving (an absolute record for Italian sport), has said that he sees himself in Jannik Sinner. “He’s very similar to me. In fact, in some ways he’s even better. I admire him greatly for his character, even in difficult situations. For example, he reacted calmly to his doping ban, whereas I would have been much angrier! He also comes from a small village in South Tyrol, like me, who came from Bolzano, and I see in him the same desire I had to make it big in the rest of Italy.”

But he gave up the Davis Cup…

“He’s an athlete, and like every athlete, he has his needs and his plans. He can’t play every day without a break. Every match is a huge physical and mental effort, so it’s only right that he takes his time every now and then, a break as every training method requires. This guy also has a private life, so if he goes home every now and then, we can’t slaughter him. These things need to be understood. Those who criticize him today don’t seem to be very well informed.”

No to the Davis Cup? He’s an athlete, and like any athlete, he can’t play every day without a break. It’s right that he takes a break every now and then.

Klaus Dibiasi

He was talking about South Tyrol, and Sinner’s choice has caused quite a stir: some people—including well-known figures—have pointed out that his origins and language are not particularly representative of Italian culture.

“The usual stupid controversies. I suffered them myself in my day, but I must confess that I never let them bother me. The fact that Jannik also speaks German seems to me to be an advantage, not a disadvantage. There is a historical reason why German is widely spoken in South Tyrol. We are talking about the history of our country, Italy, which should be studied more thoroughly… I was so happy to come home and speak my dialect! But I think it’s the same for a Neapolitan, when he speaks in a strong dialect, that’s another language too, but I don’t think anyone would say that a Neapolitan isn’t Italian.”

How important was it for you to wear the blue colors?

“Very important. Anyone who chooses to be an athlete in life aspires to wear them and perhaps carry them to the top step of an Olympic or world podium. It seems obvious to me that I have always felt deeply Italian. I competed for Italy in four Olympics, winning the medals I won. How else should I feel? And in Montreal in 1976, I also had the honor of being the flag bearer at the opening ceremony. When you represent your country, you feel a strong sense of responsibility. You know that there are many expectations, and in my case, this was especially true after my first Olympic gold medal. As the defending champion, the pressure was immense, and you have to know how to handle it. I think Sinner is very good at this too. Everyone now expects him to win all the time, but that’s not possible. A defeat cannot compromise the regard we have for an athlete, especially in his case, since we are talking about the first Italian number one in tennis. Defeats are part of the game, and defeats teach us lessons. I always told myself: to win, you have to learn to lose. That said, let’s stop comparing the present with the past. From diving to tennis to soccer, everything has changed. It’s high-tech sport, with staff made up of many people, each of whom is ready to give their best. We need to think about this too before criticizing a great champion like Sinner.”