Italian Tennis Federation President Defends Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal from the Davis Cup Team
Jannik Sinner has featured for Italy in two consecutive Davis Cup Finals and has helped them win it in two consecutive years.
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Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)
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Jannik Sinner’s decision not to play at the Davis Cup Finals has been the hottest topic in the press over the past week. The Italian star had represented his country at the national event in two consecutive seasons, but has now pulled out of the tournament with the focus on getting a good preparation for the 2026 ATP season.
Sinner helped Italy win the Davis Cup title for the first time in more than 30 years in 2023. The World No.2 then represented his country for the second consecutive year in 2024 at the Final Eight in Malaga. There, he showed brilliance against a good Dutch team, pushing his team to win the title.
But this year, Sinner has been through a lot on and off the court which has made him skip the tournament. He was suspended for three months for testing positive twice for clostebol in March last year. When he returned to tour after that, he failed to overcome Carlos Alcaraz in four tournament finals, including the French Open championship match.
He only beat the Spaniard once on tour this season and that came at the Wimbledon Championships final, which he won in four sets. The Italian star declared after losing to Alcaraz at the US Open final that he aims to make his game unpredictable on the court. However, he has also been struggling with physical issues recently.
He struggled physically at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and in the final of the Vienna Open. Italian Tennis Federation President Angelo Binaghi revealed to Italian newspaper La Stampa (via Ubitennis) that Sinner told him that he won’t feature at the Davis Cup Finals this year, adding that he supports the four-time Grand Slam winner’s decision to withdraw:
Last year, during the Finals, Jannik said in front of me and Minister Giorgetti [that he wouldn’t go to Davis this year]. I hoped that the long and forced rest due to the disqualification would make him reconsider his plans. Even after the withdrawal from Shanghai, I told myself: ‘Maybe he’ll change his mind.’ Nothing. But it’s a choice we understood and supported; history teaches us that every one of his withdrawals has led to positive outcomes.
Sinner was forced to retire from his Rolex Shanghai Masters match against Tallon Griekspoor in the third round. The former World No.1 struggled with the humid conditions of the tournament but most of all struggled with cramps. He struggled with the same issue at the Vienna Open final, but fought hard to beat Alexander Zverev and win the title.
Jannik Sinner says it’s impossible to overtake Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP rankings
Jannik Sinner dropped to World No.2 in the ATP rankings after losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open final. The Italian star had lost two consecutive finals against the Spaniard, which led to Alcaraz’s rise. Sinner has cut Alcaraz’s lead to less than a thousand points and if he does win the Paris Masters, he’s likely to overtake the 22-year-old.
However, before the ATP Finals, points from the Live Race To Turin rankings will be added to the overall ranking, which will surely see Alcaraz go back to World No.1. During an interview with Tennis Major, Sinner revealed that it’s impossible to overtake Alcaraz and become No.1, but added that he’s focused on the 2026 season:
No, honestly it’s impossible this year. It’s not in my hands anymore. That’s something I can aim for next season, but not right now. What matters is that we’ve achieved incredible things this year already. I just want to finish in the best way possible. If something more comes, great. If not, I’m already very happy with how far we’ve gone.
Sinner will face Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters. Bergs has never faced Sinner in the past. Should Sinner win the match, he’s projected to play against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the third round, while a potential clash against Alcaraz in the final awaits him.
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