Who would have thought that making decisions for oneself could sometimes turn a person into a villain? Take Jannik Sinner, for instance, who decided to skip the Davis Cup in Bologna, scheduled from November 18–23 to prioritize recovery time. Yet, taking a brief break for himself only led to a wave of criticism from both the media and fans. “It’s a big slap in the face for Italian sport,” wrote Italian tennis icon Nicola Pietrangeli. But all Sinner had to say was, “It wasn’t an easy decision,” something no one understands better than Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

With this difficult decision to snub Davis Cup, also came the current World No. 2’s next steps outlined: “After Turin, the goal is to get off on the right foot in Australia.” Sinner’s focus is firmly on the ATP Finals and the season ahead, even if it means skipping a tournament on home soil. But this episode didn’t just reveal why he chose to withdraw, it invited all kinds of critique and analysis. Now, Mouratoglou might just have a different take on why Sinner’s decision makes sense.

“Leave Jannik alone,” said the 55-year-old French tennis icon in a video he shared on his Instagram account. “He’s allowed to do his own calendar and make his own choices,”  added Mouratoglou, calling the Italian tennis star a ‘free man’ to make his own decisions. He believes that if anything, Sinner made the right call to skip the Davis Cup.

Mind you, it’s not like Patrick Mouratoglou doesn’t want the 24-year-old to play Davis Cup. Rather, the French tennis coach believes “it’s a good thing that the top players have the freedom to do what they think is best for them and make their own choices. That’s their career.”

Of course, Mouratoglou understands the bitter disappointment of fans, especially given that Jannik Sinner made time for the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition tournament, while skipping the Davis Cup, which naturally sparked outrage. However, the coach wants everyone to realize how incredible it is that players today have taken charge of their own schedules instead of being controlled, giving them a true “breath of fresh air.”

Yet here we are, witnessing the former World No. 1 being slandered by the tennis world. Beyond facing intense criticism from the Italian media, fans, and pundits alike, the repercussions of his decision to skip the Davis Cup have gone far beyond what he could have imagined. Consider it an overly harsh response, but the Italian organization Codacons (Coordinator of Associations for the Defense of the Environment and the Rights of Users and Consumers) has called for all of Jannik Sinner’s national honors to be revoked.

These include his title as Ambassador of Sports Diplomacy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the prestigious Golden Collar of Sporting Merit (Collare d’Oro al Merito Sportivo) awarded by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). On top of that, they’ve even suggested stripping him of his honorary citizenship from the City of Turin.

Of course, all of this sounds a bit too much. But that certainly hasn’t stopped those who support Sinner from standing by his decision, including, of course, Serena Williams’ former coach.

Jannik Sinner might have avoided a major ‘risk’ by snubbing the Davis Cup

Patrick Mouratoglou instead played the ball into the other court, choosing to criticize the Davis Cup rather than Sinner himself. “First of all, Davis Cup is not what it was. It lost a lot of its prestige with what happened in the last years and all those changes. And second, it’s an exhausting event,” Mouratoglou explained.

He explained that the Davis Cup can be emotionally overwhelming, as players compete for their country in front of passionate crowds. While the electric atmosphere is thrilling, it also brings immense pressure, especially for a nation’s top player, who often carries the weight of deciding victory or defeat.

At the tail end of a long, draining season, Mouratoglou noted, such intensity makes the tournament “a risk.” He further added that when a player has already won the Davis Cup, it’s “understandable” to take a break from it. He noted that Sinner would “probably play again,” but after ticking that box once, taking a year off from the event made perfect sense.