Copyright Essentially Sports
Last season, when Jannik Sinner led Italy to a second-straight Davis Cup title, he expressed his elation, “We are very happy to be back here holding this trophy.” Thanks to his heroics and the rest of the squad, Italy bested the Netherlands 2-0 to establish its supremacy at the event. This year, too, everyone was hoping for Sinner to be a part of the team and guide his country to a third-straight trophy. Sadly, it seems that too much tennis and the ATP schedule have taken a toll on the four-time Grand Slam champion. Sinner was seen struggling earlier this month at the Shanghai Masters. In his match against Tallon Griekspoor, he was forced to retire after suffering from cramps in his right leg. As a result, he had to take a momentary break for recovery. Soon, he returned on the court for the Six Kings Slam last week in Riyadh. After completing the exhibition event, he was expected to prepare for the Davis Cup next month. However, Sinner has decided to skip the tournament this time around. Ahead of his ATP campaign in Vienna this week, Sinner explained his reason behind choosing not to be in Italy’s Davis Cup squad. “I’ve won the Davis Cup twice, my team and I decided this because the season at the end of the year is very long, and I need an extra week off to start training sooner,” he said during a media interaction before Austrian Open, as reported by TNT Sports on October 21. His focus seems to be on his title defense in Melbourne. “The goal is to get back on track in Australia, in the last two years, I haven’t been at the top because there was little time, so we made this decision – we’ll see.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad It will be the first time in last five years that Sinner won’t be a part of Italy’s team. He has consistently appeared for his nation in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions. Even Italy’s captain for the event, Filippo Volandri, made it evident while defending Sinner’s decision. “The Davis Cup is, and will remain, always his home and I am sure that Jannik will soon be part of the team again.” While he may not be going to Bologna for the team-based tournament, the 24-year-old is in Vienna for another title defense. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Jannik Sinner looks to recreate the magic in Vienna Back in 2019, he made his debut at the ATP 500 event in Vienna. The impact was low as he exited in R16. But in the subsequent editions, he only grew stronger. In 2021’s edition, Sinner succeeded in entering the semis. The result also propelled him into the top 10 for the first time. He missed out on the final, though, after losing to America’s Frances Tiafoe. The next season, too, he showed a consistency as he made it to the QF round. But the best performance came during his 2023 campaign. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports He went on to beat the likes of Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Andrey Rublev, and Daniil Medvedev to lift his maiden trophy in Vienna. In the summit clash, he bested Medvedev in a thrilling, three-hour-six-minute contest. With a score line of 7-6(7) 4-6 6-3, Sinner dominated the Russian ATP icon. “It took a lot of mental and physical stuff,” he admitted after the victory. “To finish the match was a really mental thing but I’m happy about how I managed it today.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
