Davis Cup: Sinner, Berrettini make it back-to-back titles for Italy

Unstoppable Sinner

Sinner capped a dream season by winning all four matches he contested in Davis Cup this week – one doubles and three singles – and has managed lift his second trophy with Italy in the competition.

The world No.1 has won his last 14 singles matches of the year – a stretch that included titles in Shanghai, the ATP Finals in Turin, and the Davis Cup in Malaga – and his last 26 sets in a row.

He finishes 2024 with a 73-6 win-loss record and an eight-title haul, plus the Davis Cup trophy.

At the Martin Carpena Arena on Sunday, Sinner overcame Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2), 6-2 to seal the tie and secure Italy a third Davis Cup crown (also winners in 1976 and 2023).

“Coming back as defending champions and winning again, it's one of the best feelings I think for all of us,” said Sinner.

“Of course having Matteo here as a player and as a teammate, it's a bit different. So I'm very happy and glad that we managed this.

“But the whole team, we gave 100 percent. There is a lot of work behind the scenes, which all of you cannot see. Very tough decisions for Filippo (Volandri the captain), also. So we are very happy to lift this trophy and of course also to go into the preseason with a bunch of confidence boosts. We are all very happy.”

Matteo delivers

Last year, Berrettini flew to Bologna during the Davis Cup group stage, and to Malaga for the Final 8, not to play, but to support his teammates while he nursed an ankle injury.

He watched his compatriots lift the Davis Cup from the sidelines, proud of their efforts, but desperate to get back on court and feel those special emotions.  

The former Wimbledon finalist was passed over by captain Filippo Volandri in singles in Italy’s quarter-final against Argentina, but when Lorenzo Musetti lost to Francisco Cerundolo, it was Berrettini and Jannik Sinner who paired up to clinch the tie for the defending champions.

Volandri then shifted strategies and selected Berrettini to be his second singles man behind Sinner – a decision that was rewarded by two excellent victories for Berrettini over Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia, and over Botic van de Zandschulp in the final against Netherlands.

“It feels unbelievable. It feels really great to be on court,” said Berrettini after he fired 16 aces en route to a clinical 6-4, 6-2 win over VDZ on Sunday.

“Obviously if you win it's better. But being able to be healthy, to be here, enjoying this kind of atmosphere, is the most important thing for me because I missed that. I didn't miss the wins or the losses, I missed these moments.”

Berrettini hasn’t lost a Davis Cup match this year – won all six he contested – and is on an eight-match winning streak in singles clashes in the competition. He says watching his countrymen from the sidelines last year fuelled his desire to make a successful comeback from injury in 2024.

“Last year, after the whole week, I said it was really important for you to come, because I supported them, because I was really happy for them, but also for me. I did it for myself. I took so much energy from those matches,” said the 28-year-old Berrettini.

“I once again realised how much I care about Davis Cup. And living those moments I took all this energy, and I was, like, ‘Okay, next year, you're going to be here, you're going to be fighting for Italy’. I used that as an engine for the training sessions and everything that happened afterwards.”

Praise for Jannik

On Saturday, Alex de Minaur said facing Sinner “is like trying to solve a puzzle that not a lot of people have managed to solve. That's probably the best way I would describe it.

“His ball speed, his consistency feels like there's no real letdown of focus throughout the whole match.”

It’s not just his opponents who have been marvelling at his level.

Sinner’s own teammates have had front-row seats to his Davis Cup performances and are in awe of the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion.

“It's a special experience. I'm gonna be honest. Last year, when we were here, we were looking each other's eyes, and we were, like, this guy is something else, something different,” said Berrettini with a smile.

“Everybody was saying, we never ever saw someone hitting the ball so hard, so flat, and so many times in. It looked like he couldn't miss.

“So since then, I think he lost six matches, so I think he just proved that he's the best in the world. He's the most humble guy on the planet, and he came here like he didn't win the ATP Tour Finals, he didn't win everything that he won. He came here. He showed so much respect for the team.

“Before we step on court in the doubles he wanted to check with everybody it was okay our decision, and I think this is special. I think this is something that you have in your heart.

“Obviously the tennis is impressive, but I think the way he manages everything off court and relationship with team people is what makes him special and why we have two of these now back in Italy,” added Berrettini, referring to the Davis Cup trophy.

Valiant effort from the Dutch

Netherlands dug deep to oust Spain in the quarter-finals – sending Rafael Nadal into retirement – and Germany in the semis to reach the final for the first time in their 104-year history in the competition.

Griekspoor is the first player to win more than four games in a set against Sinner since Novak Djokovic took the Italian to a tiebreak in their Shanghai final six weeks ago.

“I had no other option than playing a high-level match,” said Griekspoor.

“If you want to have a chance against Jannik in this kind of form, this kind of shape, this kind of confidence, he's incredibly tough to beat. Tried my best. I felt like I gave him a tough run in the first and beginning of the second.

I think I just heard that I only hit three unforced errors in the first set, which is pretty good, I think. But still lost the set. Still gotta do better next time.”

Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis said he has a “hate relationship with second place” but “tomorrow or tonight later on, I'll be very proud of what we did. I mean, for the first time ever, I got my first medal at Davis Cup, so that’s something I never experienced before. So I'm very proud of the guys to give me something I have never done.”