Jannik Sinner guided Italy to their second consecutive victory at the Davis Cup and ended the season with eight ATP singles titles.
Jannik Sinner (Image via X)
Jannik Sinner wrapped up a stunning season by defending the Davis Cup crown with Italy with a win over the Netherlands on Sunday (November 24) in Malaga. But certainly, he did not play his matches since the US Open with a clear head.
Anxiety still lingers as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is yet to give its verdict on the doping scandal after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to its court to demand a ban on the Italian.
In the first match of the tie, Matteo Berrettini went past Botic van de Zandschulp, who had defeated Rafael Nadal in the latter’s last match of his career during the quarterfinals against Spain. Sinner’s 7-6(2), 6-2 win over Tallon Griekspoor then secured Italy their second consecutive Davis Cup win.
Matteo Berrettini couldn’t be a part of the squad in 2023 because of an injury. Last year, Italy ended their 47-year drought to lift the Davis Cup after beating Australia.
But Berrettini remained unbeaten in the singles and doubles he played this week. After the win, the former Wimbledon finalist talked about Sinner’s attitude which speaks a lot about what kind of a player he is.
The 23-year-old has now extended his unbeaten streak in singles to 14 matches and 26 sets and ended the season with an impressive 73-8 win in singles, including victories in eight tour-level finals. The eight titles also include his first two Grand Slam wins, at the Australian Open and the US Open, and his first ATP Finals title.