In Vienna, where he will make his debut on Wednesday, the world number 2 explains his decision: “It’s important to start 2026 well, an extra week makes a difference.”

Jannik Sinner has arrived in Vienna, where he will make his ATP 500 debut against Altmaier on Wednesday. He has a special connection to the tournament in the Austrian capital, as it was one of the first to grant him a wild card at the beginning of his career. The topic of the Davis Cup and his decision not to make himself available for the national team in 2025 was immediately at the center of the 500 tournament’s media day: “I’ve won the Davis Cup twice,” he said, prompted by the press. “My team and I decided this because the season at the end of the year is very long, and I need an extra week off to start my preparation earlier. The goal is to get off to the best possible start in Australia.”

Where he won in both 2024 and 2025, despite the long season: “In the last two years, I didn’t reach the top because there was little time,” he pointed out, “so we made this decision.” Jannik also commented on his participation in the Six Kings Slam, which he won for the second time with a huge prize: “We know why we play there, it’s no secret. But we mustn’t lose sight of why we play: I have a great passion for tennis, I enjoy it. Saudi Arabia is important for the future: it can give us a lot, including a fan base. The best players played there to present tennis as a product in the best possible way. That’s all.”

ITALY—  It was a decision that was in the air, hinted at on a few occasions, but which until the last minute we hoped would not happen: “The important thing is to get off to a good start in 2026, an extra week of preparation makes a difference. It’s a difficult decision to give up the Davis Cup, having won it twice already has had an impact.” It was not an easy decision, and it does not detract from his attachment to the Italian team: “I feel completely Italian,” he emphasized to the Austrian media, who were pulling at his jacket, insisting on the proximity of his hometown of Sesto to the border: “It’s a six-hour drive. This is a tournament that has helped me a lot: I started here, I won two years ago, so it’s a special event.”