The demanding structure of the modern tennis calendar is once again at the forefront of discussion, with the format of the Davis Cup facing intense questioning from the players it aims to showcase. The current schedule, which places the prestigious team competition at the end of a grueling eleven-month season, forces athletes to make difficult choices between national duty and recovery. This conflict is perfectly encapsulated by the situation surrounding Italian star Jannik Sinner, whose personal decision to skip the 2025 Finals to prepare for the 2026 season ignited a firestorm of criticism back home, despite him having led Italy to victory in the two previous years.

Amidst this ongoing debate, Sinner has broken his silence on the core issue, moving the conversation beyond his non-participation to address the bigger challenges. When asked for his thoughts on changing the competition from an annual to a biennial event, Sinner said:

“Yeah, I mean, Davis Cup is a very interesting topic. Every player has its own opinion,” he began, acknowledging the diversity of views among his peers, as reported by The Tennis Letter on X. “I think playing with this schedule, Davis Cup, it’s difficult that you have every year from every country the best players in the world.”

Jannik Sinner then revealed his own proposal for a revamped structure, suggesting a two-year cycle that would allow for a more dramatic and logistically sound competition. “What I would like, what I could see potentially in the future, is having Davis Cup throughout two years, so you can also set up the semifinals in the beginning of the year and the final in the end of the year somewhere,” he explained.

“It’s also nice where you can choose, make the coin toss, whatever, and you play in this stadium, and you sell tickets. Like this, if you play in Bologna, there is the matchup Australia against U.S., of course there are going to be spectators. I’m not saying that. But in the same time, why not making it a real Davis Cup competition?” His idea highlights what many believe has been lost in the transition to a neutral-venue finals week.

While Sinner acknowledged the strong support Italy enjoys when playing in nearby venues like Bologna or Malaga, he questioned the atmosphere when neutral countries are matched up in a fixed host city. “Us Italians are lucky because we can play here. Also Malaga is not far away. We have a huge amount of people and support. They love tennis. People are always going to move.”

In the same time, as I said, it can happen that Australia plays against U.S. next year maybe in Bologna. You don’t have this Davis Cup feeling. This the only thing,” Sinner added, highlighting how the current format can sometimes lack the passionate crowds that define the competition’s unique character.

“Then, of course, there are many dynamics behind what me personally maybe I don’t know. But yeah, I would like it in two years, that one competition goes in two years, so you can set up big matches with great venues. It makes it even bigger.”

By adding his voice to the call for reform, Sinner has elevated a critical conversation about the future of international team tennis. However, at the ATP Finals, even if Sinner is headed towards the semis in the smoothest way possible, he isn’t switching off.

Jannik Sinner is locked in for the upcoming challenge

Jannik Sinner has easily made his way into the semi-finals of the ATP Finals in Turin, with three straight wins and no sets dropped. Now, all that stands between him and a third consecutive year-end final is Alex de Minaur.

Though de Minaur has only won a single match, during his on-court conversation after beating Ben Shelton, 6-3, 7-6(3), the Italian shared his thoughts on the upcoming challenge the Aussie poses: “Yeah, I mean, you know, first I’m very happy for him because when you have this kind of losses, what he had, you know, against Lorenzo, it’s very tough. But props to him, you know, to come back with such an incredible performance, one of the best matches I’ve seen him play against Taylor.”

He then highlighted what makes de Minaur such a threat, saying, “So I have to be very careful, you know, because he doesn’t have a lot to lose. I have a lot to lose. So, you know, it’s going to be very difficult. But from my point of view, I’m very happy to be in the semis. It’s a special occasion for me, and hopefully I can show some good tennis. And we all hope for a couple of great semi-finals. And then we see what whatever comes out.”

Sinner’s acknowledgment really brought out the mental aspect of their upcoming match. The Italian has all this pressure on him as the defending champion, especially with his home crowd watching. On the flip side, de Minaur doesn’t carry that same weight of expectation, having already survived near elimination once. We’ll just have to wait and see whether the match dishes up any unexpected surprises.