“Little Medvedev” from Pisa faced off against the legend in Melbourne, but it was a sort of rite of passage. Just like with goals, you never forget your first ones…

If you’re ranked No. 141 in the world, playing in your first Grand Slam, and facing the former No. 1 who’s won 24 titles, the odds are stacked against you. And indeed, Francesco Maestrelli was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Australian Open. But the word “defeat” doesn’t quite fit. For Nole, it was just another routine match; for Francesco, it was a rite of passage—a showdown with the Legend. When a reporter told him who he’d be playing, he trembled like a seismograph. In the end, he shook hands with the Serbian legend with a winner’s smile: “Thanks for the lesson. I won’t forget it…” The only thing left was for him to stop by the club office to pay for the two hours on the court. Nole honored him with genuine compliments: “You played well.” How could Pisa’s “Little Medvedev” possibly feel defeated? The Australian prize money—which will seem like a tip to Sinner and Alcaraz—will help 23-year-old Francesco plan a season of growth that will take him into the top 100. But above all, there’s the joy of that first time. There’s nothing quite like a first kiss.

like the Rossis—  During the 2006 World Cup, Pablito Rossi advised Toni: “Enjoy your goals against Ukraine—they’re your first in a World Cup. Not even the one you’ll score in the final will move you as much.” One day in 1937, Angelo Moratti came home and showed his wife some wads of 1,000-lire bills: “Erminia, my first million.” The millions that would later allow him to buy the Grande Inter wouldn’t make him nearly as proud. It’s at the dawn of a dream that one is truly happy. Kipling is right: victory and defeat are deceiving. Francesco won.