Jannik Sinner did not forget to acknowledge Matteo Berrettini after Italy’s 2023 Davis Cup triumph. The latter did not make it to the squad after a slide in form and rankings due to injury issues. Sinner, however, thanked him for attending the final.
Italy lifted the Davis Cup after 47 years with a full-strength team. Sinner was the highest-ranked of the four singles players. Lorenzo Musetti, Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Sonego completed the quartet, all ranked in the top 50. Berrettini, who was the country’s premier player before Sinner’s rise, currently stands at World No.91. He has constantly battled injuries in 2023 and his low rank meant he did not make the cut for the Italy squad.
Berrettini, though, attended the final to see his compatriots secure the title. Sinner thanked him for attending, acknowledging the struggle he has faced with injuries. He said having the 2021 Wimbledon finalist in the stands energised the group (via The Tennis Letter).
“Huge thanks to Matteo. He’s had a very tough year with a lot of injuries. It means a lot to us that he came here for all of us. He gave us a lot of positive energy. Thanks, Matteo.”
He added how it helped the team keep their composure. The World No.4 expressed his happiness with the title after being one point away from elimination.
“All the time, we kept everything together. Yesterday we were 1 point away from being out. Today we get to celebrate the win. We are very, very happy.”
Berrettini was a top 10 regular for some years, peaking at World No.6 in early 2022. Frequent injuries also affected his form this year as he fell out of the top 20 by February. His season ended early after he retired midway through his US Open second-round clash. Not having taken to the court since his rank has seen a freefall. He was named in the group stage squad but pulled out because of injury.
How Jannik Sinner and Italy lifted the Davis Cup
Matteo Berrettini was not the only absence from Italy’s Davis Cup group-stage team. Jannik Sinner also withdrew citing load management. However, he made himself available for the Final 8 stage despite having featured in the ATP Finals a couple of days before. He carried his momentum from his runner-up finish at the year-end championship into the team tournament.
Italy faced the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. The Dutch won the first match and took a 1-0 lead. However, Sinner tamed Tallon Griekspoor to level the tie. He then teamed up with Sonego to win the doubles clash and secure a 2-1 comeback win. A stern test awaited them as they faced Serbia in the semi-finals.
Again, Italy trailed 1-0 when Sinner stepped on the court for his singles fixture against Novak Djokovic. He got his revenge for his defeat in the ATP Finals summit clash, completing two wins over the World No.1 in two weeks. Like Sinner mentioned, Djokovic had three match points in the third set. The 22-year-old survived those to bag a famous victory. He came back to haunt Djokovic, beating him in the deciding doubles clash alongside Sonego.
Facing 2022 runner-ups Australia in the final, Italy got off to a winning start. This meant a win for Sinner in the second singles match of the tie would secure the trophy. He dismantled Alex de Minaur in straight sets, inflicting a bagel in the second as the squad erupted in celebrations. Sinner etched himself into Italian history by leading them to their second Davis Cup title.
