It had never happened. Not to Jannik Sinner, not on live TV, and above all not with Nicola Pietrangeli, the last true living legend of Italian tennis, twice champion at Roland Garros and historic Davis Cup captain.

Last night, during the special episode of “Campioni – The night of numbers 1” on Sky Sport Tennis, the atmosphere was already electric. Sinner was the guest of honor after his triumph at the ATP Finals in Turin (the second in a row) and the mathematical certainty of closing 2025 as world number 1 for the second year in a row.

Then Nicola Pietrangeli, 92 years old with the usual Roman determination, intervened in the connection and shot nothing:

«This boy is too individualistic. He lost his hunger. After the doping case (even if they acquitted him, something remains) and these trophies that seem to come too easily, he no longer represents the Italian spirit. In my time we played for the shirt, for Italy, not for the money and the American sponsors. Jannik seems more Swiss than Italian.”

The studio is silent. Federica Masolin tried to change the subject, Fabio Fognini (another guest) lowered his gaze, Stefano Meloccaro turned Pompeian red.

Jannik remained silent for seven interminable seconds. Then he took the microphone with his right hand, slowly placed it on the table with a sharp thud that made the cameras shake, raised his head and looked straight at the camera that was framing Pietrangeli.

The words came out coldly, in perfect Italian, with the South Tyrolean accent that seemed even sharper than usual:

«Shut up! Who do you think you are to talk to me like this? You who won two Roland Garros… in 1959 and 1960, when there were twenty players in the whole circuit and Italy was the only European nation that still played on clay. I won four Slams in two years, I took Italy where it had never reached, I defended number 1 for 78 consecutive weeks. And you, from Rome, with all due respect for what you were, come to tell me that I’m not hungry? That I don’t represent Italy?”

Total silence. Masolin opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Pietrangeli remained petrified, his face purple.

Sinner wasn’t finished.

«I accepted the three-month disqualification even though I was innocent, I lost 2000 points and 10 million prize money for respecting the rules. I won the Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon and the Finals playing with a broken wrist, with a fever, with the world pointing fingers at me. And you, who have never won a Davis Cup as captain, come to teach me the “Italian spirit”? Shame on you.”

Then he took his jacket, got up and left the study without saying goodbye to anyone.

Director in panic. Eight minute advance commercial. When the antenna returned, Federica Masolin had tears in her eyes:

«Guys… we are all speechless. Jannik has left, we don’t know if he will return. We apologize to the viewers for the language used, but… we also understand your reaction.”

Sky Sport Italia released an official statement after just 25 minutes:

«Sky Sport distances itself from the words used by Jannik Sinner live, although it understands the tension of the moment. Nicola Pietrangeli is and will remain a pillar of Italian tennis, but we respect the right of reply of our number 1. We apologize to the public for the strong language.”

At 11.47pm the video was already the most viewed in the history of Sky Sport on YouTube: 28 million views in less than 24 hours. #TaZitto remained trending worldwide throughout the night. Matteo Berrettini posted a story with only applause. Lorenzo Musetti wrote: «Maximum respect, Jannik. You said what we all thought.” Adriano Panatta, the other great old man, commented on Radio Radio: «Pietrangeli exaggerated. Jannik is right, and he had the courage that we have lacked so many times.”

Nicola Pietrangeli, reached by telephone by Repubblica, replied only: «I am 92 years old, I say what I think. If he’s displeased, never mind.”

Jannik Sinner, who landed this morning in Munich, made no statement. But an image is worth a thousand words: only one story appeared on his Instagram, black, with a white sentence:

«Respect is earned by winning, not by talking from the couch.»

Game, set, match. And this time the silence is all on the side of the world number 1.