AFP, MALAGA, Spain
Jannik Sinner on Sunday completed his sensational year by leading Italy to a successful defense of the Davis Cup with victory over the Netherlands.
The world No. 1 eased to a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 triumph against Tallon Griekspoor for the winning point after Matteo Berrettini had put the defending champions ahead with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win against Botic van de Zandschulp.
Sinner ends this season with titles at the Australian Open, US Open and the ATP Finals.
Team Italy celebrate with their trophy after winning the Davis Cup Finals at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena in Malaga, Spain, on Sunday.
Photo: AFP
“The whole team is amazing, we tried to defend our title and we have done it, so we’re extremely happy … there’s a lot of work behind it,” Sinner said as Italy won the Davis Cup for a third time.
Italy became the first team to defend the title since the Czech Republic in 2013, and the fifth nation to win it along with the Billie Jean King Cup in the same season.
Meanwhile, Sinner called his off-court turmoil over doping accusations was “heartbreaking,” adding that he has not been able to play with a completely clear head.
Sinner is still waiting for the outcome of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal against his initial exoneration for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.
“Of course it’s in the head a little bit,” Sinner said.
“The most important part is all the people who are around me, who know me as a human being trust me — that’s also why I kept playing the level I have,” he said. “Those who know me, I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to [deal with] it.”
After Italy defeated the Netherlands in the final, Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis said that from the outside, the doping case against Sinner was impossible to analyze.
“About doping, we never know what happened,” Haarhuis said. “What’s my feeling? Jannik is an unbelievable nice guy, a great player, but we never know what happened.”
