Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner both played at the ATP Finals and also the Davis Cup, which was praised by former player Andrea Petkovic.
There has been a prevalent narrative in recent years that most top players kind of avoid playing for their countries in their respective competitions. That's certainly true however, it's also a blank statement that lacks any real context.
Most players will prioritize their singles career and health. The singles are what feeds them, and prioritising that is only natural. Health is a tricky one because the sport is so taxing with the physical demands and travel. Sometimes events simply don't line up.
Take the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, for example. They started one day after the conclusion of the WTA Finals, which makes it pretty impossible for someone like Iga Swiatek. She could technically do it, but she's risking injury and all sorts of things, which don't make it worth it.
It wasn't that much easier for Djokovic and Sinner, who also cut short their recovery time after a pretty demanding week in Turin but they were both willing to do it. It's somewhat rare in modern tennis and it's why former player Andrea Petkovic praised both of them for their efforts during the latest episode of the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
I think this we have to stress as much as we can, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic being there for their country this late in the year after having played so much, and I'm sure both of them want to make a splash at winning the Australian Open, is incredible.
They're not the only players that have done that, of course as we've seen other players do it in the past but it's becoming quite rare. Most of these players also skip the qualifiers, which isn't a very good look at all, especially when you consider how highly they speak of the Davis Cup.
It just comes to show you how important it is for these players that they are really sacrificing a piece of their recovery time in order to be there for their country. You could see it in both their faces how much they were playing and how much they wanted to win.
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