ROME – Janik Sinner’s decision not to play for host Italy in the Davis Cup quarterfinals has sparked a feeling of abandonment in his homeland – where he faced a fierce defense in a doping case earlier this year.
Second-ranked Sinner, who has guided Italy to tennis’ biggest team trophy over the past two years, said he would rather prepare for next season than help the Azzurri compete for another title in Bologna next month.
“It was not an easy decision, but after Turin (the ATP Finals takes place a week before the Davis Cup), our goal was to get off to a good start in Australia,” Sinner said, referring to the Australian Open, where he is the two-time defending champion.
“It doesn’t look like that, but a week of preparation can be different in that period,” Sinner told Sky Italia on Monday in Vienna, where he will compete this week. “We have already won the Davis Cup in 2023 and 2024 and this time we and my team have made this decision.”
A front-page headline in Tuesday’s Gazzetta dello Sport translated as: “Sinner, think again.”
A subsequent editorial in La Gazzetta dello Sport was critical of Sinner, saying he had already won the Davis Cup twice and noting how he had defended his title in a lucrative exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia over the weekend.
“So you won’t spend another $6 million to return to Riyadh? If you win Wimbledon again, you won’t go to London again? Pasta, coffee… every five minutes you promote an Italian product. The same goes for tennis,” the editorial in La Gazzetta dello Sport said, referring to the multiple Italian brands Sinner represents in television and other advertising.
Added 92-year-old Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion who before Sinner came along was Italy’s most successful player: “It’s a slap in the face for Italian sport.”
When Sinner was handed a three-month ban in February, Italians widely defended him, while other top players suggested he was receiving preferential treatment because of his high status and that the length of the ban meant he would not miss any Grand Slam events.
Sinners face discrimination
This is not the first time Sinner has been criticized for not representing Italy. That happened when he didn’t play in the Davis Cup in 2023, and it happened a year later when he didn’t play in the Paris Olympics.
Growing up in the Alto Adige-speaking region of northern Italy, Sinner also faced an underlying sentiment that he was not fully Italian.
Just last month, an Italian rapper was accused of inciting racial hatred after posting music lyrics that said Sinner spoke with “an Adolf Hitler accent.” Rapper Fedez later apologized.
Adriano Panatta, who captained Italy to their only other Davis Cup win in 1976, defended Sinner’s selection and pointed out that team competition was not as important as it was in his playing days.
“Today’s tennis demands total commitment from players. Athletes are like CEOs of companies that bear their name,” Panata wrote in Corriere della Sera. “Sinner has won the Davis Cup twice and now he needs a break to prepare for his main goals: winning a Grand Slam, reaching (Carlos) Alcaraz’s level and regaining No. 1. Those are his priorities.”
Paolo Bertolucci, who also played on the 1976 team and is now a television commentator, agreed with Panatta.
“I don’t see anything wrong with this decision,” Bertolucci told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Tennis has changed. What matters today are the four Grand Slams and then the ATP Finals. The rest is secondary.”
