Italy’s selection has won the Davis Cup for the third time in a row – underlining the country’s supremacy in world tennis.
Jannik Sinner sat with Alexander Zverev on the plane to the Maldives and smiled for a selfie as the Italian tennis party in Bologna really got going. After the third Davis Cup triumph in a row, the substitute heroes around Flavio Cobolli sang exuberantly about the “world championship title” and poured liters of champagne down themselves. The absence of top star Sinner? Was long forgotten.
“Congratulations on this incredible victory“, the Wimbledon winner congratulated his national team colleagues, who underlined Italy’s supremacy in world tennis even without him. While Sinner was celebrated as a guarantee of success in the triumphs of the two previous years, the second suit now stepped into the breach – and proved that Italy cannot currently be beaten in the team competitions.
“We are the best in tennis”
In September, the women led by figurehead Jasmine Paolini won the Billie Jean King Cup for the second time in a row, and they did so with as much dominance as the men did in the home tournament in Bologna these days. “We are the best in tennis – and in Bologna there was new proof”wrote the Gazzetta dello Sport. What makes the Italians – who gave Spain no chance in the 2-0 final – so superior?
“The team is strong because the connection between us is very strong. We’ve known each other for a long time“, said Matteo Berrettini, nominally only number six for the Italians and still a top performer in Bologna. Team captain Filippo Volandri also confirmed: “What makes the difference is the connection between everyone. We have great players.”
Zverev emphasizes structural support
And the other nations felt this in Bologna. Zverev, who was eliminated with the German team in the semifinals against Spain (1:2) and posted a selfie with Sinner from the holiday plane on Sunday evening, had already tried to explain Italian dominance at the French Open in early summer.
“I think everyone in Italy is very enthusiastic about sports at the moment. Whether it’s football or tennis”said the German number one, “And in Italy a lot is being done to support sport.”
The Italian tennis boom knows no limits
Nine Italian professionals are in the top 100 of the ATP world rankings, while there are only three from Germany. In addition, Sinner wins title after title on the tour, and Paolini, as eighth in the world rankings for women, is always one of the favorites. And: Italy thinks big.
The enthusiasm for tennis in Italy is perhaps greater than ever before. Like here at the ATP finals in Turin.
The ATP Finals will take place in the proud Mediterranean nation until 2030, and the Davis Cup finals will also remain in Italian hands until 2027. Rome has a Masters that would like to become a Grand Slam tournament. The tennis boom knows no limits.
Sinner, who is the greatest ambassador of Italian tennis worldwide, undoubtedly played a significant role in this. His cancellation of the prestigious national tournament for reasons of stress caused a lot of anger at home – but in the end it was unfounded. It’s also possible without the South Tyrolean.