Jannik Sinner speaks out after 'slapping Italian sport in the face' with huge snub

Jannik Sinner has explained why he opted not to represent Italy at the Davis Cup Finals later this year, a decision which has sparked huge backlash. The world No. 2 led Italy to Davis Cup glory in 2023, ending their 47-year wait to win the World Cup of men's tennis, and helped the team defend their title in 2024.

But Sinner has now chosen not to return to the squad next month as they hunt their third consecutive trophy. It hasn't gone down well, as retired Italian tennis icon Nicola Pietrangeli said it was a "huge slap in the face for Italian sport."

There were rumours that Sinner would forgo the Davis Cup Finals, and things became official when the Italian Tennis Federation announced their five-man lineup on Monday.

Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Berrettini, Simone Bolelli, and Andrea Vavassori will be part of the team, headed up by captain Filippo Volandri.

Sinner's decision sent shockwaves through the Italian tennis community, but the four-time Major winner has now explained that he needed to give himself a longer off-season, instead of playing an extra week at the end of the year.

The 24-year-old told Sky Sports Italy: "I've won the Davis Cup twice. My team and I made this decision because the end of the season is very long, and I need an extra week off to start training earlier.

"The goal is to be in top shape for Australia. Over the last two years, I haven't been at my best due to a lack of time, so we decided this was the right move."

The Davis Cup Finals begin on November 18, two days after the ATP Finals - the last regular tour-level tournament of the season - finishes. But two-time Major winner Pietrangeli wasn't having it, and suggested that Sinner didn't value the team event enough.

Pietrangeli, who captained Italy to Davis Cup glory back in 1976, told ANSA: "It's a huge slap in the face for Italian sport. I don't understand when he talks about difficult choices. He has to play tennis, not wage war."

"When they mention the Davis Cup, I get excited because the goal of an athlete is to wear the blue jersey. But unfortunately, I'm talking about another era.

"I hope that during the Davis Cup, he doesn't go and play somewhere else... Today, the world is too full of money. They leave their hearts behind..."

Sinner is currently competing in the ATP 500 event in Vienna and is signed up for next week's Paris Masters. However, he withdrew from the Paris event in 2023 and missed it last year to rest.

The world No. 2 will then end his season at the ATP Finals, where he is the defending champion, instead of representing Italy in the final week of the tennis calendar.