The first Italian to win a Grand Slam title has criticised Jannik Sinner’s decision to miss this year’s Davis Cup Finals in Bologna.
Nicola Pietrangeli, who previously described the world No.2 as ‘the greatest Italian player in history,’ has labelled his decision as a ‘slap in the face for Italian sport.’ On Monday, Sinner confirmed he will be missing the team event in order to extend his off-season leading up to the Australian Open next January, where he is the defending champion. He has played a crucial role in the past two Davis Cup Finals, winning five matches in 2023 and four in 2024 without a single defeat.
‘It’s a huge slap in the face for Italian sport,’ Pietrangeli told ASNA.
“‘I don’t understand when he talks about difficult choices. He has to play tennis, not wage war.”
92-year-old Pietrangeli, who won two French Open titles and was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986, previously served as a captain of his country’s Davis Cup team. In 1976, he guided them to their first-ever title.
“When they mention the Davis Cup, I get excited because the goal of an athlete is to wear the blue jersey. But unfortunately, I’m talking about another era,‘ he commented.
“I hope that during the Davis Cup (Finals) he (Sinner) doesn’t go and play somewhere else… Today, the world is too full of money. They leave their hearts behind…’
Sinner has represented his country in 12 ties since 2021, winning 15 out of 19 matches played (including doubles). As it currently stands, he is playing at the Swiss Indoor this week with his final two events of the season scheduled to be the Paris Masters and ATP Finals.
Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Berrettini, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori will play for Italy in the Davis Cup Finals. Should they win, it will be the first time in over 50 years that the Davis Cup has been won by the same country three times in a row.
