The great former player after Jannik’s refusal to play in the finals: “I don’t understand when he talks about difficult choices. He has to play tennis, not wage war.”
October 20 – 8:28 p.m. – MILAN

“It’s a huge slap in the face to the Italian sporting world.” Nicola Pietrangeli, captain of the successful 1976 Davis Cup team, disapproves of Sinner’s refusal to play for Italy in the Finals in Bologna. “I don’t understand when he talks about difficult choices,” Pietrangeli explained to Ansa, who collected a total of 164 appearances in the Davis Cup (110 in singles and 54 in doubles) with 120 victories (78 in singles and 42 in doubles). “He has to play tennis, not wage war. When they touch the Davis Cup, I get anxious because the goal of an athlete is to wear the blue jersey. But unfortunately, I’m talking about another era,“ added Pietrangeli, who had previously criticized Sinner but last year acknowledged, ”He is the greatest Italian tennis player ever.”

Pietrangeli then concluded: “I hope that during the Davis Cup he doesn’t go and play somewhere else… Today’s world is too full of money. They leave their hearts behind…” The Davis Cup Finals (won in 2023 and 2024 by the Azzurri) are scheduled to take place in Bologna from November 18 to 23, with Italy making its debut on the 19th in the quarterfinals against Austria. Captain Filippo Volandri has called up Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, and Matteo Berrettini, as well as doubles players Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.