Jannik Sinner finally commented on his controversial absence from the Italian Davis Cup team for the finals this year, between November 18-23, to be played in Turin, and with Italy defending crown. His decision to miss it angered many fans, as he is the strongest player in the world right now and the safest bet to win again.
In an interview with Sky Sports, he confirmed he decided not to go to have more time to prepare for next season. "A week is a long time for us athletes. If you have an extra week to prepare, it's very important, especially for the start of the season, but also in the long term and for injury prevention. That's why, for me, this year there hasn't been the slightest doubt that this (not playing in the Davis Cup) was the right decision."
However, he also maintained that Italy is still one of the favourites for the title, which would be the third in a row, and lamented that few people say that they are "an incredible team without me", and defended himself from the criticisms he received in Italy for prioritizing his individual goals.
"I'm proud to be Italian, I'm very happy to have been born in Italy and not in Austria, or anywhere else. This country deserves so much more, even more than what I'm doing. Some say that South Tyrol (where he was born) is different... but Sicily is also completely different. That's our good fortune; our strength lies in our differences."
Alongside Italy, the other seven countries in the finals are Austria, France, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Argentina, and Germany.