Former ATP Player Rushes to Compatriot Jannik Sinner’s Support Amidst Criticism Due to Skipping Davis Cup
Jannik Sinner will square off against Daniel Altmaier to get his campaign in Vienna underway.
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Jannik Sinner (Image via ATP/X)
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Jannik Sinner has confirmed that he will not be in Bologna with the Italian team for the Davis Cup Finals. And this decision did not go down well in the Italian tennis community.
According to former player Nicola Pietrangeli, representing the country at the Davis Cup should be every Italian player’s main goal. He also thinks players now don’t pay heed to the national team, accusing them of playing only for money. But former player, Paolo Bertolucci, has backed Sinner’s decision.
People think about the national shirt, but tennis doesn’t work like that. Tennis is about the Slams — full stop. Then you have the ATP Finals, that’s world tennis. And the Masters 1000, which players use to both win and prepare for the Slams.
Paolo Bertolucci said (via Ubitennis)
Sinner made his Davis Cup debut in 2021 and helped Italy win two titles in the previous two seasons, winning all the matches he played. The reason why he wants to skip it is his need for an extra week off so that he can kick off his pre-season training earlier, to prepare well for next year’s Australian Open.
Sinner was last seen in action at the Six Kings Slam, where he clinched the win in straight sets over arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, defending his crown and bagging the $6 million prize money. He is in Vienna to chase his fourth title of the season and will start his campaign against Daniel Altmaier on October 22. Sinner holds a 2-1 head-to-head lead over the German, and the defeat he suffered was in the second round of the 2023 Roland Garros.
Sinner is a former Vienna Open champion, as he clinched the title in 2023 by beating Daniil Medvedev. If he wins, he will still be more than 800 points behind World No.1 Alcaraz on the rankings table. Winning the Vienna Open as well as the Paris Masters will see him dethrone the six-time Grand Slam champion, who reclaimed his position from the 24-year-old after beating him in the US Open final.
Jannik Sinner on the state of tennis on the men’s tour
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated in the Grand Slam events since 2024, sharing the last eight Majors between them. But the work never stops for both players as they are well aware of the potential threats from the young talents.
You never know. If I’m honest, the last two years me and Carlos got the Slams — the most important tournaments in our sport. In the future, I see young talents rising. I don’t want to name anyone, but there are some interesting names among them. We always have to keep practicing, and the whole team has to push us. If you don’t play with 100% but only 98%, you lose — like I did in Shanghai.
Jannik Sinner said at the press conference
The three titles that the four-time Grand Slam champion has won this season are the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the China Open. After China, he played in Shanghai, but his campaign ended in complete disappointment as severe cramps forced him to withdraw from his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor.
My motivation is to get the No.1 back. You practice every day, you practice for a goal. It’s different if everybody’s behind you or if you’re chasing someone. I had a good end of the year last year, but those points can already help me at the start of next season.
Jannik Sinner added
After Vienna and Paris, Sinner will be in Turin to bid for a second consecutive ATP Finals title. Last year, he defeated Taylor Fritz to win the year-end championships for the first time in his career.
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