Davis Cup Director Reveals the Tournament He Really Hopes Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Will Participate in Next Year

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner pulled out of the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna this season.

Davis Cup Director Reveals the Tournament He Really Hopes Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Will Participate in Next Year

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

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Davis Cup director Feliciano Lopez has big hopes for the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rivalry to continue in 2026. The former Spanish player has revealed a tournament he hopes both players will compete in next season, after Sinner and Alcaraz dominated the men’s circuit with their brilliance.

At the just-concluded Davis Cup Finals, Alexander Zverev was the only top-10 player. That led to a limited attraction for fans compared to last year’s edition, where Sinner, Alcaraz, and Rafael Nadal competed. Sinner withdrew from the tournament as he opted to rest and prepare for the 2026 season.

Alcaraz also withdrew from the tournament days before its start in Bologna. The World No.1 competed at the season-ending tournament in Turin, where he got to the final before sustaining a hamstring injury during his match against Sinner. However, Lorenzo Musetti also pulled out of the tournament citing family reasons.

The Davis Cup ended with Italy overcoming Spain in the final. Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli led the Italian side against a weak Spanish team led by Jaume Munar. If Alcaraz and Sinner had competed at the tournament, they would have met in the final, which would have been a blockbuster clash as both would have been representing their countries.

Their absence from the tournament meant that it failed to gain much attention from fans and the media. During an interview with La Gazetta dello Sport, Feliciano Lopez revealed that he hopes both players compete in the Finals of the Davis Cup next year. He added that the sport is lucky to have Sinner and Alcaraz on tour:

We’re incredibly lucky to have them. They’re not just two great champions: it’s the contrast in their playing styles and personalities that makes this duel special. I hope to have them both in Bologna next year. It would be a great moment, I’d say unique, for their rivalry: playing the final at Roland Garros or the US Open wouldn’t be the same as facing each other in the Davis Cup final, on one of their home turfs, with everyone cheering them on.

Sinner and Alcaraz gave the tennis world a unique rivalry this season. They met six times on the court this year, with Alcaraz winning four of the meetings. The 22-year-old extended his lead over Sinner in their head-to-head record 10-6 on tour. Nonetheless, they met in three Grand Slam finals, Alcaraz winning two of them.

Feliciano Lopez isn’t a fan of ranking points added back to Davis Cup

From 2009 to 2015, ranking points were awarded for competing in the Davis Cup. But that has been removed from the event since 2016. During that period, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer helped Spain and Switzerland, respectively, win the Davis Cup. There have been suggestions that if the ranking points were added to the tournament, it would attract more top players.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (4)
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

During the aforementioned interview, Davis Cup director Feliciano Lopez was asked if there would be a possible return of ranking points to the tournament. The former ATP player admitted that he’s not a fan of the idea. He added that he disagreed with the intention of the policy when it was in place for six years:

I’ve never supported this proposal, and I’m not saying this as the Davis Cup director, but as a former player. When they did it with the ATP Cup, I disagreed. In team competitions, it’s not fair to award ranking points. When you play Davis Cup, you have to do it for the pleasure of representing your country, not for the points or the money.

Several players have suggested that the Davis Cup change the way the tournament is played to attract the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The tournament has admitted that they will look into those suggestions. The first round of the 2026 Davis Cup qualifiers will begin in February next year.

Also Read: Ex-ATP Pro Picks ‘Toughest’ Opponent Between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer: “It’s Very Hard to Pick”