By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 17:26 EST, 28 January 2024 | Updated: 17:29 EST, 28 January 2024 Hunting Boots For Men
Tennis players can be a superstitious lot, highlighted by Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner's insistence on wearing a pair of Nike shoes that were discontinued years ago during his triumph at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
After becoming the first Italian to win the down under grand slam, the 22-year-old climbed into his team box to celebrate with Australian coach Darren Cahill, friends and family.
But the curious moment when Sinner changed his shoes before the trophy presentation had many fans raising their eyebrows.
'Is he changing into his Gucci shoes?' one quipped on social media platform X.
As it turns out, Sinner was making a quick change into his official sponsor shoes after shunning them for the match.
"You guys make me feel home!" 🥰 🇮🇹 Jannik Sinner reacts to winning his first Australian Open title 🏆#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/0xDaCqwRsY
Sinner was photographed after after his Australian Open win wearing a new pair of Nike shoes that he did not wear during the match
The Italian star chooses to wear a discontinued line of Nike shoes on court after a string of foot-related injuries in 2022
The Italian is sponsored by Nike and chooses to wear Nike Court Air Zoom Zero shoes on court - which were discontinued several years ago.
After the match he quickly changed into the more current Nike Invincible 3 running shoes for the trophy ceremony.
It is believed Sinner is the last professional tennis player left wearing the Nike Court Air Zoom Zero shoes, a determined superstition that may have helped him win the Australian Open title.
Sinner has had a history of foot issues, including withdrawing from the Miami Open quarter-finals in 2022 with blisters, while he also injured his ankle in a quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in the same year.
Sinner was also forced to retire due to injury against Andrey Rublev at the French Open in 2022.
Sinner wore the Nike Zoom shoes at Wimbledon in 2022 and has relied on the footwear ever since, despite it being discontinued
His dependence on the discontinued Nike line of shoes comes as the footwear giant makes a steady withdrawal from tennis.
Despite having a four-decade long relationship with tennis, including partnerships with legends of the sport including John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Mary Joe Fernández, Nike has been winding down tennis operations in recent years.
The pivotal moment, perhaps, in cementing the association between tennis and Nike occurred when the brand inked deals with icons like Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer around the turn of the century.
Since then, Nike has emerged as a powerhouse in the realm of court attire, consistently delivering top-tier products adorned by the sport's greats.
However as the curtain falls on this era of players, Nike has discreetly retreated from the tennis scene, suggesting a deliberate choice to scale back its involvement in the sport over the past five years or so.
That includes the dissolution of the team solely responsible for tennis in 2023.
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Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
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