Tennis: Sinner to Skip Davis Cup Finals to Focus on ATP and Australian Open

Rome: Jannik Sinner won’t play the Davis Cup finals in Bologna in November, he said Monday. Sinner announced his decision to skip the finals scheduled for November 18-23 to concentrate on the ATP Finals in Turin from November 9-16 and to prepare for defending his Australian Open title from January 12-February 1, 2026.

According to Ansa News Agency, the non-playing Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri stated that the world number two had informed him of his unavailability for the tournament. Sinner recently triumphed over world number one Carlos Alcaraz to retain his Six Kings Slam title in Riyadh. Italy, aiming for a third consecutive Davis Cup victory following wins in 2023 and 2024, will now rely on players Matteo Berrettini, Simone Bolelli, Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Musetti, and Andrea Vavassori.

Italian Tennis Federation President Angelo Binaghi expressed understanding towards Sinner’s “painful” decision, acknowledging the player’s impressive contributions during a demanding season. Binaghi emphasized the Davis Cup’s symbolic importance and voiced confidence in Sinner’s future return to represent Italy with passion and determination.

Sinner himself described the decision as challenging but necessary to focus on the ATP Finals and the Australian Open. He noted that a week of preparation could significantly impact performance. The 24-year-old, a four-time slam winner, has shared recent slam titles with his rival Alcaraz, who has won six slams at 22.