Jannik Sinner embroiled in Hitler lyrics fury as rapper insists 'I didn't compare them'

Italian rapper Fedez has issued an apology for his lyrics comparing Jannik Sinner to Adolf Hitler, with the 24-year-old tennis star yet to comment on the controversy

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Italian rapper Fedez has apologised for his controversial lyrics that compared tennis ace Jannik Sinner to Adolf Hitler. The singer unnerved many fans of the four-time Grand Slam champion when he referred to him as a "purebred Italian with the accent of Hitler."

Sinner, 24, was born to German-speaking parents in South Tyrol, a region in northern Italy close to the Austrian border where most residents speak German as their first language. Fedez, whose real name is Federico Lucia, faced backlash from fans after sharing lines from his personal notebook on social media, which he intended to perform at two concerts at Milan's Assago Forum.

The lyric criticising arguably Italy's top athlete sparked outrage among many. Fedez eventually backed down by issuing a public apology, but only after the words caused uproar among many witnesses.

The contentious excerpt, shared with his 13.4million Instagram followers, read: "Every time I write about this, I feel like telling Essemagazine to go f*** itself. So before I start something important... F*** EsseMagazine. Yesterday, a feminist who fights revenge porn sent me a video of De Martino on her iPhone. The postal police won't give a damn, here you'll be arrested just for a w**k.

"They made a 15-year-old a saint, his miracle being playing PlayStation without swearing (referring to late saint Carlo Acutis). They shot an American anti-abortionist (a nod to the recent murder of political commentator Charlie Kirk).

"Oh, relax, guys, the Pope is still in the Vatican! Did you hear what [Italian politician] Elly Schlein said? 'I condemn Israel, but I have lots of Jewish friends.' Italians have a new idol, his name is Jannik Sinner. A purebred Italian with the accent of Adolf Hitler."

The lyrics were slammed by critics as "disgusting" and "senseless," with many questioning why Sinner was targeted by such harsh criticism. When asked about his choice of words after sharing a preview of the song, Fedez initially stood his ground.

"It's not a criticism of Sinner, it's more of a criticism of Italian fanaticism," he said during a recent appearance on Radio24's La Zanzara show. "I didn't compare Sinner to Hitler. It's called irony. And, by the way, I don't know him and I'm not interested in knowing him."

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Fedez even went so far as to sarcastically congratulate the current Wimbledon and Australian Open champion for paying his taxes in Monte Carlo, which doesn't collect personal income tax. However, the 35-year-old decided against performing the controversial rap at the Assago Forum and instead used the opportunity to apologise.

Speaking to attendees in Milan, he said: "I wanted to take a paradox and it came off terribly, about athletes who are born and raised in Italy but often are not considered Italian due to the color of their skin and apply it to Italy's top athlete.

"I wasn't able to pull it off and all I can do is apologise. If something like this isn't understood, it's because of a mistake made by whoever wrote it. So I take responsibility."

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Sinner has remained silent regarding Fedez's criticism despite winding down his tennis commitments at the end of the season. Instead, he was occupied in Milan celebrating the launch of his own charitable foundation.

While Fedez's criticism conveyed a message of negativity, Sinner was concentrating on championing positive change and said at the launch event: "I've been lucky to pursue my passion through tennis.

"But I know millions of children never get the chance to follow their dreams because they don't have access to school. Standing here tonight, I see the project is finally alive, and we are ready to help children realise their dreams."