Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have a big decision to make over the next month or so.
Both players’ national teams, Italy and Spain, are set to compete at the Davis Cup Finals in November.
After missing his team’s 3-2 qualifying win over Denmark recently, Alcaraz suggested he would return for the Davis Cup Finals when talking to his countryman, Pau Gasol, in San Francisco.
“ATP Finals and then the Davis Cup, I want to be in top form to see if we can get it,” he said.
Sinner, on the other hand, has yet to commit to playing, giving another vague answer when asked about his participation during this week’s China Open.
Jannik Sinner says he is not thinking about the Davis Cup right now
Asked by a journalist whether he plans to make the trip to Bologna for the Davis Cup Finals in November, Sinner had this to say.
“The Davis Cup? I’m not thinking about that right now, honestly, it’s a decision I still have to make,” he said.
It’s clear that the world number one and two think differently about the 2025 Davis Cup, at least for now…
Sinner’s indecisiveness may come as a surprise to some, given his commitment to the Italian national team over recent years.
Compared to Alcaraz (8), Sinner has played far more matches at the Davis Cup (19) throughout his career, leading his team to titles in 2023 and 2024.
Jannik Sinner at the Davis Cup
| Year | Matches played | Matches won | Matches lost | Italy performance |
| 2024 | 4 | 4 (Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni, Sebastian Baez, Alex de Minaur, Tallon Griekspoor) | 0 | Winner |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 (Tallon Griekspoor/Wesley Koolhof, Tallon Griekspoor, Novak Djokovic/Miomir Kecmanovic, Novak Djokovic, Alex de Minaur | 0 | Winner |
| 2022 | 5 | 3 (Filip Hornasky, Norbert Gombos, Francisco Cerundolo) | 2 (Igor Zelenay/Filip Polasek, Mikael Ymer) | Lost in SF |
| 2021 | 5 | 3 (John Isner, Daniel Galan, Marin Cilic) | 2 (Robert Farah/Juan Sebastian Cabal, Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic) | Lost in QF |
Carlos Alcaraz at the Davis Cup
| Year | Matches played | Matches won | Matches lost | Spain performance |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 (Jakub Mensik/Adam Pavlasek, Tomas Machac, Ugo Humbert, Tallon Griekspoor) | 1 (Wesley Koolhoff/Botic van de Zandschulp) | Lost in QF |
| 2023 | – | – | – | Lost in GS |
| 2022 | 3 | 2 (Marius Copil, Soonwoo Kwon) | 1 (Felix Auger-Aliassime) | Lost in QF |
| 2021 | – | – | – | Lost in GS |
With those numbers in mind, perhaps Sinner could be excused for taking a year out from the Davis Cup.
Should Jannik Sinner skip the 2025 Davis Cup?
Leading Italy to two of their three Davis Cup titles, Sinner’s value to the team is undeniable, although that’s not to say there aren’t other players capable of filling in for the world number two.
Italy currently has five players ranked inside the world’s top 50, who would all no doubt relish the opportunity to retain the Davis Cup title in front of a home crowd in Bologna.
Italian players in the ATP top 50
- 1. Jannik Sinner – #2
- 2. Lorenzo Musetti – #9
- 3. Flavio Cobolli – #25
- 4. Luciano Darderi – #30
- 5. Lorenzo Sonego – #44
World number nine Lorenzo Musetti would love nothing more than to cap off his breakout year with a Davis Cup win.
Therefore, fans of Italian tennis shouldn’t be too worried about the prospect of Sinner missing the event, even if it would admittedly be far from ideal.
For Sinner, a rest could do him the world of good, as his rivalry with Alcaraz continues to heat up.
Ahead of a potential fourth consecutive Grand Slam final meeting with the Spaniard in Melbourne, Sinner will want as much time on the practice court as possible, fine-tuning his game.
Only time will tell if Sinner will choose to join his teammates for the Davis Cup Finals, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins on Tuesday, November 18.
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