“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,” said Jannik Sinner while explaining the reason for his absence from the Davis Cup. However, the 24-year-old’s actions haven’t matched his words. His choice to play an exhibition event for a lucrative $6 million in prize money in Riyadh invited flak from a veteran. He called Sinner out, claiming that his choice to skip Davis Cup was “a big slap in the face for Italian sport.” However, all hope is not lost as one voice has emerged in support of Sinner.

Italy’s Captain Filippo Volandri, who will lead the team’s campaign in Bologna next month, believes Sinner’s isn’t entirely unpredictable. In an interaction with Gazzetta, dated October 22, he revealed, “It’s a decision that, as President (Angelo) Binaghi also said, hurts, but it’s neither the first nor the last time it happens.” Further, he went on to give examples of former ATP icons who also, at times, chose to skip Davis Cup due to some reason or the other. Citing two of the Big Three members, Volandri continued, “It happens to all players, even the great ones. Zverev hasn’t played it for years, Federer and Nadal the same.”

Back in 2009, both Federer and Nadal decided to pull their names from the team event for Switzerland and Spain, respectively. While the 20-time slam champion cited a back problem, the 14-time Roland Garros king was suffering from stomach muscle issues. “There are seasons that lead you to arrive at certain times in different physical and mental conditions. We are still at the end of the season, and every year is different. For Jannik, this was a special season, and we all know it.”

Coming back to Italy’s campaign, Volandri assured that the squad still looks solid. “The team remains very strong. It is obvious that every captain would like to have the full squad with his strongest player available. But precisely because I’m the captain of Davis and I played, I try to normalize it”.

While Sinner won’t be there, Italy’s squad will feature the likes of Matteo Berrettini, Flavio Cobolli, and Lorenzo Musetti. They will try to replicate last year’s performance to help their country win a third-straight trophy. As for Sinner, he has recently stepped back on the court in order to build momentum ahead of the ATP Finals.

Jannik Sinner looks to make a deep impact in Vienna before the ATP Finals

Jannik Sinner is currently in a tricky situation after his heartbreaking loss last month in New York. Archrival Carlos Alcaraz bested him in the final while also snatching the No.1 spot in ATP rankings. To get back to the pole position, the Italian Machine has got a mammoth task at hand.

He will have to win all of his remaining three events of the season. Currently, he is in Vienna for the Austrian Open, where he kicked off his campaign with a victory on Wednesday against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. However, Sinner will need to keep up the winning momentum and eventually clinch the trophy at the ATP 500 event to maintain hopes of reclaiming the No.1 throne.

If he succeeds in securing the title in Vienna, he will have to repeat similar results at the Paris Masters and then in the ATP Finals too. The latter is where he had shone last season after besting American star Taylor Fritz in the final. In case Sinner achieves this objective, he will have amassed 3,000 ranking points – enough to reposition him in the top spot.

However, he also has to hope for current No.1 Alcaraz to falter in his upcoming campaigns. The Spaniard is set to play two more tournaments, in Paris and Turin. Should he win both these titles, Sinner’s chances of becoming No.1 again will be in shambles. Do you think the Italian star can make it happen while also having luck on his side?