Fandom, of course, can take many forms: Everywhere-all-at-once Swifties have recently made fiscal history, spending—according to the Federal Reserve—$5 billion around Eras-tour shows. Viral TikTok clips show Beyoncé or Nicki Minaj holding their mics out during concerts, with the crowd knowing each and every word, intonation, and pause. And sometimes it’s less about finding commonality and more about pursuing a kind of fandom of fantasy—hello, Disney Adults.
In this case, though, it’s six Italian guys who dress up as carrots.
Dubbed the Carota Boys, these supporters cheer exclusively for the current world number four men’s tennis player, Italy’s Jannik Sinner. In the last year they have become fixtures at tournaments around the world—and at the Australian Open in Melbourne (where Sinner will play Novak Djokovic in the semifinals tomorrow) they have completed their own fan Grand Slam: They’ve now been to every major to support their king.
Along the way, they’ve become one of professional tennis’ most visible off-court phenomena (those bright orange costumes are easy marks for cameramen). Even Sinner himself has said “they are becoming more famous than me.” And to think it all started because, years ago, one member of the group saw Sinner eating a carrot during a changeover (others, of course, have said their costumes are a nod to the player’s red hair). Below, two of the six Carota Boys—Alessandro Dedominici and Lorenzo Ferrato—tell us about their arrival on the scene, where they get their costumes made, and how strange it is, as fans, to have their own fans.
