Italian Davis Cup Captain Admits Not Having Jannik Sinner on Team ‘Hurts’ but Backs World No.2’s Decision Amid Criticism
Jannik Sinner is chasing his fourth title of the season at the Vienna Open, which he won in 2023 by beating Daniil Medvedev.
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Jannik Sinner (Image via ATP/X)
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Jannik Sinner is receiving a considerable amount of criticism, this time, from the Italian tennis community. He simply chose to skip the Davis Cup, scheduled to be held on November 18.
The reason behind this decision is to take an extra week off so that he can start his pre-season training earlier for next year’s Australian Open. Sinner, when asked about the criticism during a press conference at the Vienna Open, made it clear that he has made his decision and doesn’t have much to say.
Former player Nicola Pietrangeli condemned his decision, but fellow retired player Paolo Bertolucci rushed to the World No.2’s defense. Now, Italian Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri made his feelings known on the same.
It’s a decision that, as President Binaghi also said, hurts, but it’s not the first or last time it’s happened. It happens to all champions. Alexander Zverev hasn’t played in the Davis Cup for years, just like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal did in their day.
Filippo Volandri told La Gazzetta dello Sport
Sinner, who made his Davis Cup debut in 2021, has two titles to his name, winning them in 2023 and 2024 with Italy. He clinched every match he played in the previous two seasons. After Vienna, he will play the Paris Masters.
There are seasons that take you to the end with different energy levels. We’re still at the end of the season, and this has been a very unusual year for Jannik. He’s spent a lot, especially mentally. In last year’s Davis Cup, he spent every last ounce of energy. He always seems to be in control, but I assure you, he reaches the end exhausted.
Filippo Volandri added
The door is open for Sinner if he changes his mind. But Volandri doesn’t expect any surprises. Sinner is participating in the Vienna Open, chasing his second title in the event.
Daniil Medvedev believes he can challenge the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Daniil Medvedev did not play well at the start of the season, and as a consequence, he did not make deep runs. On the men’s tour, two layers have been dominating a great deal.
They are Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have defeated almost everyone they have faced. But because Medvedev rarely reached the last few stages, he was not pitted against either Alcaraz or Sinner. And because Medvedev did not play, he cannot say whether the World No.1 and World No.2 played better than in previous years. But Medvedev believes he can challenge them if he keeps playing tennis at a high level.
But in one particular tennis match, anything can happen. And as for myself, if I continue to play better and better, as I do now, then this gap will decrease, not because they play worse, but because I play better. That’s why I will try to do this.
Daniil Medvedev told Tennis Bolshoi
Medvedev trails 7-8 in the head-to-head matchups with the 24-year-old, but it’s the latter who won their last three matches, including in the quarterfinals of last year’s US Open. But against Alcaraz, the 2021 US Open champion trails 2-6, also losing their last four encounters.
Medvedev recently ended the Almaty Open in his favor, finally ending his title drought. It was his first title of the season as well as his first since the 2023 Italian Open.
Alcaraz and Sinner have played a combined 17 finals this year, with the former winning eight titles and the latter taking home three of them. The Spaniard was last seen in action at the Six Kings Slam, where he lost in straight sets against Sinner.
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