Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta had a few things to say about Jannik Sinner opting not to play Davis Cup this week.
It goes without saying that Panatta's views and opinion holds a lot of weight, especially when it comes to talking about Davis Cup. Panatta won the 1976 French Open, but is just as known for his accomplishments for his country at Davis Cup level.
He played an integral role in winning the Davis Cup for Italy in 1976 and would go on to reach a further three finals in addition. Panatta was openly really critical of Sinner's decision not to play for his country this week and his passion for the competition came across with some really strong words.
"Today, tennis players are businesses, and, as such, they only think about profit, especially those around them, forgetting history and feelings. He had already given up on Olympic Games, today he says no to Davis Cup."
Some of Panatta's views can be justified, but it is quite easy to forget that tennis has really moved on over the years. Davis Cup as a competition isn't quite the same as what it used to be with its drastic alterations for the worse, and modern tennis players like Sinner put more emphasis in winning Grand Slams than competing for their country.
Panatta praised Fabio Fognini for making himself available for Italy despite the obvious controversy surrounding his rejection by Italy's Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri.
"I'm with Fognini. Fabio is one of the greatest talents in our tennis and he can still give a lot. I don't know why Volandri excluded him, but you should never forget everything a player has done for his country."
Italy's Davis Cup team very much look like they needed Sinner this week, having got trounced by Canada without being able to earn a single rubber, losing all three matches.
Sinner faces a heavy amount of criticism due to previous instances, where he has favoured other tournaments over representing his country, the biggest of all being at the 2021 Olympic Games.
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