Codacons Urges the Removal of all Official Awards and Honors Given to Jannik Sinner After his Withdrawal from the Davis Cup Last Eight
Jannik Sinner will finish the season at the Nitto ATP Finals.
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Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)
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Jannik Sinner’s decision to skip the Davis Cup Finals has sparked major controversy in Italy. Many fans and officials are upset, especially since the event is being held in Bologna. His withdrawal has led to widespread debate about his commitment to representing his country.
The situation intensified when the Italian consumer group Codacons released a strong statement criticizing Sinner. The organization even demanded that all state honors awarded to him be revoked, accusing the player of neglecting his national duties. Codacons said in a statement on Adnkronos:
Sinner’s decision to give up playing in the Davis Cup represents a slap in the face to Italy, to Italians and to millions of passionate tennis fans. Every athlete has the right to decide on their own career and to put other interests, including economic ones, before those of the country they represent, but such a choice must be carried forward with consistency.
This reaction has shocked many in the tennis community, as Sinner has been a key figure in Italy’s recent Davis Cup success. He has helped his country win the competition twice and has often spoken proudly about representing Italy. Their statement continued:
You cannot represent Italy around the world when you have to withdraw official awards, only to then make sporting decisions that go in the exact opposite direction. For this reason, and following Sinner’s decision not to participate in the Davis Cup, we ask that all honors be withdrawn and the institutional recognitions awarded to the tennis player be revoked, from the appointment as “Ambassador of Sports Diplomacy” by the Farnesina to the Golden Collar of Sporting Merit from the CONI, and even honorary citizenship from the City of Turin.
Now, attention turns to how Italian media and fans will receive Sinner when he competes in Turin for the ATP Finals. Despite the controversy, he remains one of Italy’s brightest stars, but his relationship with the public may be tested in the coming weeks.
Jannik Sinner opens Vienna Open account
Top seed Jannik Sinner began his Erste Bank Open campaign with a dominant win on Wednesday, defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-0, 6-2 in just 58 minutes. The top seed and defending Vienna champion controlled the match from start to finish with his power and precision. It was his fastest victory of 2025 and extended his unbeaten run on indoor hard courts to 17 matches.
The 24-year-old Italian was flawless throughout, striking 19 winners and committing only seven unforced errors. He never faced a break point and continued his remarkable streak of winning every opening-round match since Cincinnati in 2023. Sinner will next face fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli, who advanced past Tomas Machac in straight sets.
In other action, Daniil Medvedev battled past Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2 to begin his campaign in Vienna. Despite missing two match points in the second set, the former world No. 1 regrouped strongly to secure victory. The win keeps his hopes alive of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin, an event he won in 2020.
Medvedev, currently 13th in the ATP Race to Turin, needs a deep run in Vienna to close the gap on eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti. A potential quarter-final clash between the two could prove decisive. Before that, Medvedev will face Corentin Moutet — the same opponent he defeated in last week’s Almaty final.
Jannik Sinner needs Vienna Open to boost World No.1 hopes
World No.2 Jannik Sinner makes his return to the ATP Tour this week at the Vienna Open, where he’ll aim to regain momentum after recent setbacks. The world No. 2 won the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh, but this marks his first official event since retiring injured at the Shanghai Masters earlier in October.
That withdrawal in Shanghai hurt his hopes of finishing the season as world No. 1 ahead of Carlos Alcaraz. The Vienna Open now becomes crucial if Sinner wants to close the gap on his Spanish rival and keep his year-end ambitions alive. Alcaraz, who defeated Sinner in the US Open final, currently tops the rankings with 11,340 points, while Sinner sits at 10,000.
The difference between the two also extends to the Race to Turin standings. Alcaraz leads with 11,040 points for the year, compared to Sinner’s 8,500. This 2,540-point gap means the Italian must produce something special in the final stretch of the season to have a realistic shot at reclaiming the No. 1 spot.
Sinner has three ATP tournaments left — the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals. If he wins all three and stays unbeaten in Turin, he could collect around 3,000 points. That might be enough to overtake Alcaraz, but it would require both flawless performances from Sinner and a rare slump from his main rival.
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