PARIS — Adriano Panatta anticipated the moment when he would present the French Open trophy to Jannik Sinner, exactly 50 years after his own magnificent victory in Paris.
However, it appears he may still have the honor of handing over the prestigious Coupe des Mousquetaires to a fellow Italian after the men’s singles final on Sunday, graciously invited by Roland Garros to partake in the celebration of his 1976 triumph.
Though Sinner faced a surprising defeat in the second round, Italy is guaranteed representation in the championship match, as Flavio Cobolli prepares to challenge compatriot Matteo Arnaldi in the semifinals on Friday.
Cobolli hails from the same esteemed tennis club in Rome as Panatta once did, with Panatta’s father serving as the caretaker at the historic Tennis Club Parioli.
Years ago, Cobolli, along with his father and coach Stefano, visited Panatta at his club in Treviso, Italy, which Panatta established following his illustrious playing career.
“I predicted he would be an extraordinary player,” Panatta reminisced. “Little did I know it would happen so soon.”
While Sinner came tantalizingly close last year, holding three match points in a five-set thriller against Carlos Alcaraz in the final, no Italian man has claimed the singles trophy in Paris since Panatta.
Panatta recently reflected on his unforgettable 1976 tournament during an insightful interview with The Associated Press.
He holds the distinction of being the only player to ever defeat Bjorn Borg twice at the French Open—once in the fourth round in 1973 and again in the quarterfinals in 1976. Their only other encounter in Paris was in 1975, where Borg emerged victorious in the semifinals, later claiming his second of six Roland Garros titles.
“I relished the challenge of facing clay-court specialists like Borg and (Guillermo) Vilas,” Panatta noted, having triumphed over Vilas in the Italian Open final just before his French Open conquest. “I had a diverse playing style, attacking often and employing many drop shots. I didn’t conform to their style.”
“When two players have the same approach, the stronger one typically prevails. My different style likely unsettled them.”
Panatta also dispatched two more clay artists, Americans Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon, in the semifinals and final, respectively.
The final served as a rematch of a contentious quarterfinal in Rome between Panatta and Solomon, during which Solomon left the match while serving for victory, frustrated by what he believed was a miscall.
“He turned it into a spectacle,” Panatta commented. “When someone walks away, they bear responsibility.”
Unsurprisingly, both athletes were highly motivated for the rematch in the Paris final.
However, Panatta faced an unexpected challenge when he discovered his doubles partner, Paolo Bertolucci, had mistakenly taken his tennis shoes home.
“(Bertolucci) had to fly back from Rome the morning of the final with my sneakers,” Panatta recalled.
Fortunately, the shoes arrived just in time, allowing Panatta to defeat Solomon once more, this time clinching a pivotal fourth-set tiebreaker.
Panatta noted he earned $30,000 for his French Open victory—about the same amount that current players receive for losing in the first round of qualifying.
He finds it difficult to comprehend the current players’ demands for a larger cut of tournament revenues.
“I’m not sure I understand the reasoning,” Panatta chuckled. “It’s amusing.”
He reminisced about a past player boycott at Wimbledon in 1973, triggered by the suspension of Croatian player Nikola Pilić.
“Our cause wasn’t about money,” Panatta clarified. “It was about Pilić.”
While Panatta longs for the days when serve-and-volley tactics were more common, he still respects players like Sinner who redefine the limits of baseline tennis.
“When excellence shines through, it’s never dull,” Panatta proclaimed. “Witnessing someone perform at the brink of perfection is truly inspiring.”
Sinner’s Wit
Panatta was also cordially invited to the trophy ceremony in Rome last month, where Sinner made history as the first Italian man to seize that title since Panatta in 1976.
During the ceremony, Sinner playfully remarked to the 75-year-old Panatta that he was clearly too young to have witnessed his matches, quipping, “My parents probably hadn’t even met yet!”
Panatta found Sinner’s humor delightful, appreciating the young star’s lightheartedness.
Like Panatta, who enjoyed rally cars and speedboats after retirement, Sinner has a penchant for speed, indulging in go-kart racing and following Formula 1.
“I hope he continues racing even after his playing days are over,” Panatta expressed.
Panatta capped off his extraordinary 1976 season by leading Italy to a historic Davis Cup victory against Chile in Santiago, amidst the backdrop of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship.
“That era made the Davis Cup the ‘real’ Davis Cup,” Panatta declared. “It held the same weight as a Grand Slam.”
So, how does he compare the feelings tied to his Italian Open, French Open, and Davis Cup titles?
“Rome holds the most sentimental value for me because the Foro Italico is where my journey in tennis began. Roland Garros stands out as the most significant due to its Grand Slam status. And the Davis Cup was a special team event, with players who had been friends since childhood,” Panatta reflected. “Each title evokes entirely different emotions.”
