“I CAN’T FORGET IT!” Jannik Sinner breaks down in tears while hugging an orphaned child living in a landfill. After visiting a school funded by his foundation, he decided to take a walk nearby to better understand the lives of the children he supports.
Suddenly, he found himself in a massive landfill, where hundreds of impoverished people, including many children, rummage through the trash to survive day by day. There, Jannik saw a boy of about ten years old, skinny and dirty, searching alone through bag after bag for scraps of food.
Homeless and without schooling, the boy’s only companion is an old tennis ball found among the garbage. He dreams of one day playing tennis like the “tall man with red hair” he sees on TV — none other than Jannik Sinner himself.
Jannik was paralyzed, unable to hold back his tears. He hugged the boy tightly and TOOK HIM HOME…
I will never be able to forget it! Jannik Sinner and the hug that changed a life: the sequel to a story that moves the world
When Jannik Sinner uttered the phrase “I will never be able to forget it”, with his voice broken by tears, no one imagined that those words would become the symbol of one of the most emotional humanitarian stories ever linked to modern sport.
After viral images of him hugging an orphaned child in a landfill, audiences around the world began to wonder: What happened next? How is that child today? And what real impact did the Italian champion’s gesture have?
The day after the viral video
The video, filmed secretly by an employee of the Sinner foundation, exceeded 30 million views in less than 24 hours, becoming a trending topic on X, Instagram and TikTok.
The images showed Jannik, covered in mud, holding the hand of a very thin child, both in tears, as they walked away from the landfill. No constructed scene, no prepared statement: just silence, emotion and a hug that spoke more than a thousand words.
According to sources close to the foundation, Jannik had no intention of making the episode public. “It was a private, human moment. He didn’t want cameras,” said an employee. But once the video went viral, Sinner decided not to shy away and to publicly explain his motivations.
The arrival in Italy and a new life
The child, named Minh, was temporarily entrusted to Jannik Sinner through a legal process followed by social workers and international child protection organizations.
Within a few days, Minh arrived in Italy, welcomed into a private house near Monte Carlo, where Sinner usually trains.
For the first time in his life, Minh began attending a regular school. He wears a clean uniform, has books, notebooks and – as those who follow him say – an inexhaustible curiosity. But above all, he stopped rummaging through garbage to survive.
“On the first day of school he was afraid of everything,” revealed one teacher. “But when he realized that no one was going to send him away, he smiled. I will never forget that smile.”
Tennis as a bridge to the future
Knowing how much tennis was the child’s secret dream, Jannik decided to take a step further. Minh began training with a private coach, following a light and gradual program, more educational than competitive.
The old ball found in the landfill has been preserved and framed, as a symbol of a past that must not be forgotten.
“I don’t want to make him a champion,” Sinner explained in an exclusive interview. “I just want him to be happy, to play, to study. If one day he becomes a tennis player, it will be his choice.”
The words of Jannik Sinner
In front of the cameras, the number one in world tennis spoke with disarming sincerity: “My life wasn’t easy, but I was lucky. I had a family, someone who believed in me. Minh had nothing. I couldn’t turn away.
This is why I started my foundation: to give real opportunities, not just charity.”
These statements had a huge impact, especially after the controversy linked to the doping scandal which had called into question his public image. For many fans, this gesture represented a stronger response than any press release.
Messages of support continue to arrive from all over the world. The so-called “Sinner Army” invaded social media with comments full of emotion: “Jannik is not just a champion on the pitch, he is a champion of heart.” “I cried watching the video.
This is the real number one.” “After everything he’s been through, he shows who he really is.”
Celebrities, former tennis players and humanitarian activists also praised the gesture, calling it “a rare example of authentic empathy in elite sport”.
An impact that goes beyond a single story
The Sinner foundation has announced that, in the wake of this story, a new project dedicated to children living in extreme conditions will be launched, with particular attention to education and sport as tools for social redemption.
Donations increased 400% in a week, a sign that Minh’s story struck a deep chord.
Conclusion: a champion on and off the pitch
In an era where sport is often associated with scandals, astronomical figures and detachment from reality, the story of Jannik Sinner and Minh reminds the world of the true meaning of the word “champion”.
Not just titles, rankings and trophies, but the ability to change a life with a simple and human gesture.
“I will never be able to forget it,” Jannik said. And today, millions of people around the world can say the same thing.
