Jannik Sinner gives verdict on chances of changing his Davis Cup Finals decision

Jannik Sinner seemed slightly irritated when his decision not to play in next month's 2025 Davis Cup Finals was again raised.

Competing in the finals is a commitment for top players since its place in the calendar from November 18th to 23rd. Playing until late November means they would only get slightly over a month during the off-season until 2026 begins.

Sinner was Team Italy's talisman in its 2023 and 2024 title runs. The women also won the 2024 and 2025 editions of the Billie Jean King Cup, creating the country's incredible recent dominance of the sport.

However, Team Italy's chances of a third consecutive Davis Cup success look minute after Sinner announced he will not play at the 2025 finals despite them being held on home soil in Bologna.

The four-time Grand Slam champion explained that he wanted to use the extra week to prepare for the 2026 Australian Open and mentioned having already won two Davis Cups with his Italian teammates.

Two-time French Open winner and fellow Italian legend Nicola Pietrangeli did not take kindly to Sinner's decision or his rationale for making it. He thinks it was disrespectful to their country and that modern players care more about money than patriotism.

When asked for his response to the criticism, Sinner said people are entitled to their opinion, but he did not want to add anything else. The ATP world No. 2 might have thought the subject would be dropped from that point.

Instead, a reporter at the 2025 Paris Masters asked whether Sinner could reconsider his decision. Sinner had said finishing as the year-end No. 1 would be impossible before Alcaraz's shocking loss to Cameron Norrie in Paris, which means it is still mathematically achievable.

Sinner's response was even shorter and blunter than when he responded to the criticism from Pietrangeli and others. The 24-year-old said the decision was made and again stated he had nothing else to add.

Sinner seemed and sounded visibly fed up with the questions about his Davis Cup decision. While somewhat understandable, it is an inevitable consequence of being a top player who misses a team event held on home soil.

In a separate interview, Sinner expressed irritation with the four Grand Slams for not engaging more about issues raised by top players earlier this year around prize money and contributing to other benefits like healthcare and pensions.

This year's Wimbledon winner said that initially positive discussions had not led to subsequent actions, and is frustrated that the major tournaments wanted to resolve some other issues before entirely engaging with players.

Earlier this season, twenty top players, ten from the ATP and ten from the WTA, wrote a letter to the Grand Slams expressing their desire for a higher percentage of the revenue generated to be given in prize money and other rewards.

Whether the Grand Slams take those concerns seriously and make changes in 2026 remains to be seen.