Jannik Sinner’s Davis Cup decision defended by ATP star amid ongoing criticism
Jannik Sinner’s decision to miss Italy’s Davis Cup Finals campaign in Bologna has been defended by Jack Draper following a strong reaction to the world No 1’s choice.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner has been a key part of Italy’s recent Davis Cup success, with the 24-year-old helping his nation win back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.
Italy had previously won the Davis Cup only once, in 1976, before their recent triumphs, and they will look to become the first country since the United States in 1971 to win three consecutive titles in the men’s team competition.
This year’s Davis Cup Finals will be held in Bologna from November 18-23, though Sinner will not be in action.
He has chosen to decline the chance to compete in the Finals this year, with Lorenzo Musetti and Flavio Cobolli set to lead captain Filippo Volandri’s squad in Bologna.
Sinner revealed last month that he had chosen not to play so he could have an extra week of rest ahead of the start of the 2026 season, with his Australian Open title defence looming in early January.
While the likes of acclaimed tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Italian tennis stars Adriano Pannatta and Paolo Bertolucci have defended Sinner, he has faced criticism from several quarters.
Italian icon Nicola Pietrangeli was among his compatriots’ strongest critics, calling Sinner’s decision a “slap in the face” for Italian sport.
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However, the world No 1 has now found another voice of defence in the form of world No 10 and reigning Indian Wells champion Draper.
In a recent interview with The Tennis Podcast discussing the demands of the tennis calendar, Draper claimed it was “tough” to see Sinner face criticism for his decision
He said: “Jannik this year, he’s not playing the Davis Cup, am I right?
“Like, he’s probably thinking: ‘I’ve done, I’ve won Davis Cup twice. This year I’ve had a long year, I’ve had to deal with a lot, I’ve done well at the Grand Slams – I want to do a better pre-season, I want to improve as a player. I want to refresh.’
“Him and his team have clearly made that decision just to get better and become a better player.
“And, it’s tough to see when someone gets criticised for something like that, because they clearly don’t understand the sport and how it is.”
With his decision not to play the Davis Cup, Sinner’s season will instead come to a close at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he will look to defend his title.
The Italian was unbeaten at the tournament last year, winning all five of his matches without dropping a set to triumph at the event for the first time — having lost the final in 2023.
Sinner approaches the year-end championships with plenty of momentum, having won back-to-back indoor titles in Vienna and Paris coming into the tournament.
He is the second seed at the tournament and joins top seed Carlos Alcaraz as one of two heavy favourites for the title, with the pair also battling for the year-end No 1 ranking in Turin.
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