Italy and Spain both managed to reach the final of the Davis Cup, despite being without Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz respectively.
And it was Italy who emerged victorious at the Davis Cup, overcoming Spain 2-0 in front of their own supporters in Bologna.
The nation have now won the Davis Cup in each of the last three years, although this is their first success in that run without Sinner.
Sinner chose not to play at the Davis Cup, with ATP Tour number one Carlos Alcaraz having made the same decision.
That came after both players made the final of the ATP Finals in Turin earlier this month, which Sinner won.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner react after Italy beat Spain in the Davis Cup final
The pair have now reacted to the dramatic finale of the Davis Cup, in which Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli both won their singles matches.
Posting on his Instagram story, Sinner commented in Italian: “Congratulations on this incredible victory.”
And Alcaraz wrote on his Instagram story in Spanish: “Congratulations to Italy on another Davis Cup title! Very proud of our team! Very great!”
Will Jannik Sinner regret not playing at the Davis Cup after Italy’s win?
How did Italy win the Davis Cup final against Spain?
It truly is a stunning achievement for Italy to win three Davis Cup titles in a row, with the hosts having also been without Lorenzo Musetti.
But it turns out they didn’t need him or Sinner, with captain Filippo Volandri expertly guiding his players to yet another success.
They were, of course, boosted by the home support, but Volandri and every player deserve huge credit for their displays this week.
Italy defeated Austria 2-0 in the quarterfinals, and secured the same result in their semifinal with Belgium.
The same outcome played out in the final, where Berrettini beat Pablo Carreno Busta and Cobolli beat Jaume Munar.
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