Jannik Sinner’s decision to skip this year’s Davis Cup finals has been described as ‘painful’ by the head of his county’s federation.
The world No.2 confirmed on Monday that he will not be playing in the team finale, which will be held at the Bologna Fiere exhibition centre in November. Sinner was a key figure in his country’s triumph at the knockout event last year, winning all four matches he played. Meanwhile, in 2023 he won five consecutive matches en route to guiding his team to glory.
There had been speculation about how the four-time Grand Slam champion would end this season. He has already qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin. Before that tournament, he is scheduled to play in Basel this week and then the Paris Masters.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but after Turin, the goal is to get off to a good start in Australia,” the ANSA news agency quoted Sinner as saying.
“It may not seem like it, but a week of preparation during that period can make all the difference.
“We won the Davis Cup in 2023 and 2024, and this time, my team and I decided to do this instead.”
Amid Sinner’s absence, Italy has selected Matteo Berrettini, Simone Bolelli, Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Musetti and Andrea Vavassori for the tournament. They are bidding to become the first team in over 50 years to win the Davis Cup for the third year in a row. However, Sinner’s absence will undoubtedly be a blow.
“We understand and respect Jannik’s decision, which is very painful for us, and which comes at the end of a long and intense season, in which he once again demonstrated his extraordinary role model for the entire Italian tennis movement,” Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis Federation, told reporters.
“For him, and for all of us, the Davis Cup represents a symbol of pride and belonging, and we are certain that he will soon return to wear the blue jersey with the same passion and determination as always.” He added.
The Davis Cup Finals will be held between 18–23 November. The other teams participating are Spain, Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany and Austria.
List of Davis Cup quarter-final matches
Italy VS Austria
Frances VS Belgium
Spain VS Czech Republic
Argentina VS Germany
