Latest news with #Italian-language
NBC Sports
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Fabio Fognini announces his retirement at Wimbledon after a first-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz
LONDON — Former top-10 player Fabio Fognini announced his retirement from professional tennis on Wednesday at Wimbledon, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-setter on Day 1 of the tournament last week. The 38-year-old Italian pushed two-time defending champion Alcaraz for more than 4 1/2 hours before coming out on the wrong end of the 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 score in the fortnight's first match at Centre Court. That extended Fognini's losing streak to 10 consecutive tour-level matches, including an 0-7 record in 2025. He previously had said he would finish his career at the end of this season, but held a news conference at the All England Club on Wednesday to say he won't compete again. 'It's hard to say what I will do now. I want to enjoy the summer with my family. That's what I want more than anything right now. And then, what happens, happens,' Fognini said. 'I'm happy. I lived some indescribable moments. Tennis gave me a lot. It gave me everything.' Fognini is the husband of 2015 U.S. Open champion Flavia Pennetta. She famously won that title at age 33, by beating childhood friend Roberta Vinci, then surprised everyone watching by saying on court that her retirement would happen later that year. After the match against Alcaraz, Fognini asked for one of the Spaniard's shirts as a gift for the oldest of his and Pennetta's three children. When he got to the locker room afterward, Fognini said, he got a standing ovation from other players. 'There are things that mean more than a victory or a defeat,' he said. 'And (exiting) at that court, in front of my family, is worth more than any title.' A self-described hothead, Fognini was well-known for some outlandish on-court behavior that repeatedly resulted in fines. He was docked $3,000 at Wimbledon in 2019 for saying during a match that he wished 'a bomb would explode at the club' and a then-record $27,500 in 2014 for a series of outbursts. He was put on a two-year probation by the Grand Slam Board in 2017 after insulting a female chair umpire at the U.S. Open and getting kicked out of that tournament's doubles event. During the Italian-language portion of Wednesday's news conference, Fognini told reporters from his country he wished he hadn't clashed with them so often over the years. This was the 63rd Grand Slam event for Fognini, whose best result was getting to the quarterfinals at the 2011 French Open, although he didn't play in that round there because of an injured thigh, allowing his opponent, Novak Djokovic, to advance. Fognini leaves the sport with nine tour singles titles, the last at Monte Carlo in 2019. Later that year, he reached No. 9 in the ATP rankings, the first man from Italy in the top 10 since 1979. In doubles, Fognini also got to No. 7 and won eight titles. He was ranked 138th in singles before Wimbledon. 'I did this job for 20 years,' Fognini said, 'and I don't know how to do anything else.'
San Francisco Chronicle
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Fabio Fognini announces his retirement at Wimbledon after a first-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz
LONDON (AP) — Former top-10 player Fabio Fognini announced his retirement from professional tennis on Wednesday at Wimbledon, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-setter on Day 1 of the tournament last week. The 38-year-old Italian pushed two-time defending champion Alcaraz for more than 4 1/2 hours before coming out on the wrong end of the 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 score in the fortnight's first match at Centre Court. That extended Fognini's losing streak to 10 consecutive tour-level matches, including an 0-7 record in 2025. He previously had said he would finish his career at the end of this season, but held a news conference at the All England Club on Wednesday to say he won't compete again. 'It's hard to say what I will do now. I want to enjoy the summer with my family. That's what I want more than anything right now. And then, what happens, happens,' Fognini said. 'I'm happy. I lived some indescribable moments. Tennis gave me a lot. It gave me everything.' Fognini is the husband of 2015 U.S. Open champion Flavia Pennetta. She famously won that title at age 33, by beating childhood friend Roberta Vinci, then surprised everyone watching by saying on court that her retirement would happen later that year. After the match against Alcaraz, Fognini asked for one of the Spaniard's shirts as a gift for the oldest of his and Pennetta's three children. When he got to the locker room afterward, Fognini said, he got a standing ovation from other players. 'There are things that mean more than a victory or a defeat,' he said. 'And (exiting) at that court, in front of my family, is worth more than any title.' A self-described hothead, Fognini was well-known for some outlandish on-court behavior that repeatedly resulted in fines. He was docked $3,000 at Wimbledon in 2019 for saying during a match that he wished 'a bomb would explode at the club' and a then-record $27,500 in 2014 for a series of outbursts. He was put on a two-year probation by the Grand Slam Board in 2017 after insulting a female chair umpire at the U.S. Open and getting kicked out of that tournament's doubles event. During the Italian-language portion of Wednesday's news conference, Fognini told reporters from his country he wished he hadn't clashed with them so often over the years. This was the 63rd Grand Slam event for Fognini, whose best result was getting to the quarterfinals at the 2011 French Open, although he didn't play in that round there because of an injured thigh, allowing his opponent, Novak Djokovic, to advance. Fognini leaves the sport with nine tour singles titles, the last at Monte Carlo in 2019. Later that year, he reached No. 9 in the ATP rankings, the first man from Italy in the top 10 since 1979. In doubles, Fognini also got to No. 7 and won eight titles.
New Paper
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Paper
S'pore content creators tap popular 'Italian brainrot' memes, unaware of darker undertones
In the last couple of months, adults and children alike may have come across a series of social media sensations: a wooden oblong creature holding a baseball bat, a ballerina with a cappuccino for a head and a walking shark wearing blue Nike shoes. These surrealist internet memes first garnered views and "likes" in early 2025. Nonsensical and mildly grotesque, the artificial intelligence (AI)-generated characters instantly earned themselves a spot among social media's beloved "brainrot" genre. Brainrot refers to content deemed to be of low quality or value, non-intellectual, trivial and addictive, and also refers to the supposed negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by it. Tung Tung Tung Sahur (the wooden oblong object), Ballerina Cappuccina (the ballerina), Tralalero Tralala (the walking shark) and Bombardino Crocodilo (a crocodile head with a bomber plane body) are part of the cast. They all have pseudo-Italian names and their clips are voiced over in Italian. One video of Tung Tung Tung Sahur doing a famous TikTok dance that was posted on April 27 received 26 million likes. But these memes are sometimes embedded with offensive and problematic messaging, which viewers may be unaware of. The original AI-generated Italian-language video featuring Bombardino Crocodilo mocked the deaths of children in Gaza and glorified terrorism as a whole. As for some Tralalero Tralala clips, the narration mocks Islam and includes blasphemous statements. Several Singaporean influencers and content creators have leveraged Italian brainrot's virality, creating fashion videos featuring outfits inspired by the characters or a Zumba video starring the dancing aunties of local community group Everdance. On May 19, content creator Jovanna Yam, 22, posted a TikTok video of her mother reading out Italian brainrot names, while she played the instrumental audio on the piano. The video has since amassed 15,600 likes and 284,000 views, up from her usual 13,000. Ms Yam, who goes by migraineyy on TikTok, told The Straits Times: "I mostly post videos of myself playing classical piano pieces and pop covers, so I did not expect this one to go this viral. I was trying to create more funny content to hook my audience. "When you watch an Italian brainrot video for too long, the algorithm deems that you like this kind of content and pushes out more of it on your 'For You' page. All my social media accounts were filled with these videos." But she added she was not aware of the darker undertones of Italian brainrot. "It is definitely a cause for concern as nobody would expect them to be controversial. Most of us watch these types of videos for entertainment because of how nonsensical they are." Since finding out about some offensive versions, she intends to check her comments thoroughly to ensure she has not offended any followers. In April, local Gen Z social media couple Dyce and Ce posted a video of themselves on Instagram and TikTok trying the Guess The Italian Brainrot Character filter challenge, which garnered 358,000 likes and nearly four million views. In the comments section, most netizens praised their humour and asked where they could find the filter. But a few demonstrated more awareness of the implications of the series. One netizen wrote: "I'm Italian. The first name (Tralalero Tralala) means something bad." Another added: "It was funny until someone told me the meaning of Tralalero Tralala and Bombardino Crocodilo."
Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
S'pore content creators tap popular ‘Italian brainrot' memes, unaware of darker undertones
SINGAPORE – In the last couple of months, adults and children alike may have come across a series of social media sensations: a wooden oblong creature holding a baseball bat, a ballerina with a cappuccino for a head and a walking shark wearing blue Nike shoes. These surrealist internet memes first garnered views and 'likes' in early 2025. Nonsensical and mildly grotesque, the artificial intelligence (AI)-generated characters instantly earned themselves a spot among social media's beloved 'brainrot' genre. Brainrot refers to content deemed to be of low quality or value, non-intellectual, trivial and addictive, and also refers to the supposed negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by it. Tung Tung Tung Sahur (the wooden oblong object), Ballerina Cappuccina (the ballerina), Tralalero Tralala (the walking shark) and Bombardino Crocodilo (a crocodile head with a bomber plane body) are part of the cast. They all have pseudo-Italian names and their clips are voiced over in Italian. One video of Tung Tung Tung Sahur doing a famous TikTok dance that was posted on April 27 received 26 million likes. But these memes are sometimes embedded with offensive and problematic messaging, which viewers may be unaware of. The original AI-generated Italian-language video featuring Bombardino Crocodilo mocked the deaths of children in Gaza and glorified terrorism as a whole. As for some Tralalero Tralala clips, the narration mocks Islam and includes blasphemous statements. Several Singaporean influencers and content creators have leveraged Italian brainrot's virality, creating fashion videos featuring outfits inspired by the characters or a Zumba video starring the dancing aunties of local community group Everdance . On May 19, content creator Jovanna Yam, 22, posted a TikTok video of her mother reading out Italian brainrot names, while she played the instrumental audio on the piano. The video has since amassed 15,600 likes and 284,000 views, up from her usual 13,000. Ms Yam, who goes by migraineyy on TikTok, told The Straits Times: 'I mostly post videos of myself playing classical piano pieces and pop covers, so I did not expect this one to go this viral. I was trying to create more funny content to hook my audience. 'When you watch an Italian brainrot video for too long, the algorithm deems that you like this kind of content and pushes out more of it on your 'For You' page. All my social media accounts were filled with these videos.' But she added she was not aware of the darker undertones of Italian brainrot. 'It is definitely a cause for concern as nobody would expect them to be controversial. Most of us watch these types of videos for entertainment because of how nonsensical they are.' Since finding out about some offensive versions, she intends to check her comments thoroughly to ensure she has not offended any followers. In April, local Gen Z social media couple Dyce and Ce posted a video of themselves on Instagram and TikTok trying the Guess The Italian Brainrot Character filter challenge, which garnered 358,000 likes and nearly four million views. In the comments section, most netizens praised their humour and asked where they could find the filter . But a few demonstrated more awareness of the implications of the series. One netizen wrote: 'I'm Italian. The first name (Tralalero Tralala) means something bad.' Another added: 'It was funny until someone told me the meaning of Tralalero Tralala and Bombardino Crocodilo.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
NYC's only Italian record store will close after family feud following matriarch's death: ‘This is my identity'
This is no amicable arrivederci. The city's only Italian-language record store faced a changing neighborhood, streaming services and a pandemic — but it was the death of a matriarch and family feud that brought about the final curtain. Advertisement SAS Italian Records in Bensonhurst will close after nearly 60 years in business once it sells off its inventory of Italian-language CDs and records, owner-operator Silvana Conte tearfully confirmed to The Post. 6 SAS Italian Records on 18th Avenue will shutter for good once its inventory of Italian-language CDs and records is sold off, 69-year-old owner-operator Silvana Conte tearfully confirmed to The Post. Gabriella Bass 'This is breaking my heart, I'm having a breakdown: this is my identity,' said Conte, whose parents opened the store in 1967 after emigrating from Ponza, Italy. 'The store was everything to my family … [but] inheritances being what they are, it's not up to me anymore.' Advertisement Conte, 69, 'held on' to the store after years of declining sales and pandemic-related struggles in order to preserve her mother Rita's legacy – but was forced to make the decision to close up shop following the death of her mother on May 12 , she said. 'We haven't been making money in a long time. I was just keeping it open for my mom,' Conte explained. 'My brother and my sister, they don't want this,' she added. 'My brother thinks my sister's right – he thinks it's a waste of time, why would you want to keep this open? [But] he doesn't live here, he lives far away.' 6 'This is breaking my heart, I'm having a breakdown: this is my identity,' said Conte, whose parents opened the store in 1967. Gabriella Bass Advertisement The wood-paneled time capsule of Italian movies, magazines, accessories, rosaries and other ephemera is a treasure trove of Conte family history, the owner said. 'I had my first kiss right there,' Conte recalled, pointing across the counter. 'My grandmother died right over there. 'This store is everything, it's history … My whole family is represented here.' 6 Ciro Conte (middle right, white shirt) and his wife Rita Conte (blue dress) opened the store in 1967. Gabriella Bass Advertisement SAS — named for the original owners' children Silvana, Adrianne and Silverio — once peddled thousands of Italian music CDs and 'all the Italian DVDs,' Conte said. At its peak, the store would purchase about 50 weekly Italian puzzle magazines – 'La Settinana Enigmistica' – and would regularly sell out in the once booming Italian-American enclave. 'Today we order five and we're left with two at the end of a month,' Conte sighed. 'This neighborhood has changed – [there's] very few Italians left.'. The record store's closing comes on the heels of another 18th Avenue decades-old institution, Bari Pork Store, closing its doors later this month. 6 'My identity is here, and it's disappearing — just like this neighborhood,' Conte said. 'The Italian identity is disappearing from here. Gabriella Bass 'There's not that much business anymore,' an employee told the Italian Enclaves Instagram account on Monday. 'The area changed so drastically that you can't keep up anymore … local people don't patronize. 'We can't survive the 'holiday' customers only,' another worker said, referring to those who moved out of Bensonhurst and only come back to shop for special occasions. 'We need them steady.' Conte said the cultural identity 'is disappearing.' 'My identity is here, and it's disappearing — just like this neighborhood,' Conte said. 'This really was a 'Little Italy' – but once all the families moved out and lost the language … every year you could tell a little less a little less.' Advertisement 6 'I'm going to miss this place, a lot of people in this neighborhood are going to miss this place,' said Sergio Macaluso, 63, who rode to the store Wednesday on a Vespa. Gabriella Bass Longtime customers and neighbors paid their respects to the beloved mom-and-pop shop last week. 'I'm going to miss this place, a lot of people in this neighborhood are going to miss this place,' Sergio Macaluso, 63, a retired copper salesman, told The Post. 'Now it won't be here, it's another memory going away.' Angela Scimone, 72– who grew up in the neighborhood but now lives in Staten Island — was in the store shopping for banners from Italy with her husband. Advertisement 'When I first came here from Sicily, I was 19, [and] I met your father right here in the store,' she told Conte in Italian, 'and he said he was going to marry me! He was so funny.' 6 An array of Italian-language DVDs remain at the Bensonhurst store. Gabriella Bass Conte told The Post the only Hail Mary the store has left would be for an 'angel' investor to take over. Advertisement 'I want to keep this because this is part of a culture – people here are calling this a landmark and I tried,' Conte added. 'I tried to keep it going, but she died, and that was it. 'I can't hold this up anymore,' she added. 'You got to live.'
