“It’s a big slap in the face for Italian sport.” Former Italian ATP icon Nicola Pietrangeli had a harsh reaction earlier this week to compatriot and 24-year-old star Jannik Sinner’s shocking Davis Cup call. Owing to a hectic schedule, the former World No.1 opted to withdraw from Italy’s campaign in Bologna. The four-time slam winner explained, “It wasn’t an easy decision (to skip the Davis Cup), but after Turin, the goal is to get off on the right foot in Australia,” but it appears the backlash is only going to aggravate further. But now, Sinner has come up with a crystal-clear response.

Sinner is competing at the Austrian Open this week in Vienna. On Wednesday, he kicked off his campaign with a rapid fast win over Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. The “Italian Machine” bested him in just 58 minutes. Following the victory, however, Sinner had to face some pointed questions regarding his Davis Cup decision. When told regarding the growing hate over his withdrawal, he chose to make his stance very, very clear, with a firmness.

Taking accountability, he began, “I can say that I accept all the criticism”; however, his next line was enough to clear any remaining doubt. Without wanting to further explain himself, he responded, “I’ve already said everything and I have nothing more to add.” Additionally, the Italian ATP star also dropped another crucial update regarding his seasonal journey. After the campaign in Vienna, he will head to Paris for the Masters 1000 event.

Sinner is currently trailing archrival Carlos Alcaraz in the rankings. In the Live Rankings list, the Italian is at 8,550 ranking points as of this writing. On the other hand, Alcaraz is leading him while having 11,040 ranking points. To snatch back the No. 1 throne, Sinner has to win his last three remaining events of 2025.

Alongside the ongoing Austrian Open, he needs to clinch trophies at the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals in Turin. It won’t be an easy ride though, just like his situation back home following the Davis Cup snub. It hasn’t gone down well with certain people, especially a few establishments in his native country.

Italy’s The Codacons urge to take back Jannik Sinner’s national honors

In what can be termed as an extremely harsh reaction, The Codacons (Coordinator of Associations for the Defense of the Environment and the Rights of Users and Consumers) have requested that all the national honors awarded to Jannik Sinner should be revoked.

After becoming a four-time slam champion, Sinner has received many accolades back home. For example, he was honored as the Ambassador of Sports Diplomacy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not only that, but he has also received the Golden Collar of Sporting Merit (Collare d’Oro al Merito Sportivo) from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). Not to forget the honorary citizenship from the City of Turin.

“After Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal from the Davis Cup, Codacons has called for the removal of all official awards and honors granted to the tennis player,” the team of Codacons revealed, as reported by Tennis Update on October 23. The association bashed Sinner while mentioning that his “decision to skip the Davis Cup ‘represents a slap in the face to Italy, to Italians, and to millions of passionate tennis fans.’”

The association admitted that every athlete has the right to make decisions for their careers. And also to prioritize their personal and economic interests. “However, such a choice must be carried out with coherence. One cannot represent Italy around the world when it comes to receiving official honors and then make sporting choices that go in the exact opposite direction.”

Issuing another harsh message to the Italian No. 1 player, the Codacons stated, “If Sinner dedicated less time to filming commercials for every possible product, perhaps he would have more time to better represent his country—both in sport and beyond.” It will be intriguing to see if Sinner comes up with his own reply to the association. However, his sole focus, for now, will be on the Austrian Open. He has to make an impact at this event to keep his hopes alive of reclaiming the No. 1 spot.