Just as against Australia and Belgium, the Italian duo found themselves waiting for a “decider” they never actually played against Spain. But they celebrated all the same: “Being there gives them confidence, and they give us confidence—that’s the most important thing.”

After that final forehand drive, Flavio realized he’d done it. Filippo ran toward him, Matteo climbed over the boards marking the bench and went to hug him. And Simone and Andrea returned to the arena from the locker room. Italy won 2-0 with the singles players; there was no need for them. Against Spain, just as against Austria and Belgium. In Bologna, Bolelli and Vavassori lived in constant anticipation of having to play a “decider” that never materialized. The final, above all, was a rollercoaster of emotions. With a long and stressful wait before lifting the Insalatiera together. After Berrettini secured the first point, in fact, Cobolli’s match had taken a turn for the worse. Munar seemed like a force of nature, while Flavio was off his game. Even his father Stefano had lost hope. Bolelli and Vavassori, selected by captain Volandri for the potential decisive match, went at one point to warm up, mentally review the strategies, and get in the competitive mindset. Was it all for nothing? No, because everything makes sense in the chemistry of the Davis Cup.

Bolelli and Vavassori form a very close-knit duo: formed in the summer of 2023 and capable of reaching three Grand Slam finals (Australian Open 2024 and 2025, Roland Garros 2024), win seven ATP titles, and qualify for the ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, reaching the semifinals just a few days ago in Turin and finishing this year once again in the top ten of the world rankings. Vavassori was right at home in Turin: he always returns to the Ct Pinerolo for training, where his father Davide—his coach—his mother Dorina, and his sister Sara work. Bolelli, on the other hand, is a true Bolognese and developed his tennis skills at the Villanova Country Club, just a short distance from the Fiera that hosted the Davis Cup. He was eager to be a key player. Both of them were eager, partly because Andrea and Simone, despite having enjoyed much success on the tour, have yet to make their mark with the national team—as a pair. A quick aside: Bolelli, 40, boasts a longer history, having played a total of 46 matches between singles and doubles (24 wins, 22 losses) since 2007. The Bolelli/Vavassori duo, on the other hand, has played just three Davis Cup matches—two losses and a single, albeit precious, victory: the 2-1 win over Belgium in the 2024 round-robin stage, which was decisive for advancing from the group. And we must also factor in their first-round elimination, as the No. 1 seed, at the Paris Olympics.

ON THE BENCH—  Bolelli and Vavassori never took the court in the two final stages led by Sinner in Malaga. In 2023, Jannik played alongside Sonego in the decisive doubles matches against the Netherlands and Serbia; last year, he teamed up with Berrettini to eliminate Argentina in the quarterfinals. And they didn’t play in Bologna either. Unlike the Spanish duo Granollers and Martinez, who had been instrumental in defeating the Czech Republic and Germany, the Italians were sitting on the sidelines waiting for their turn to finally come. “We were ready to play, but the guys were fantastic, and Flavio pulled off an incredible comeback,” Bolelli said after the award ceremony. “We knew we had to be ready and pumped up. Being there gives them confidence, and they give us confidence—that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t bother me if my teammates win and I don’t play; that’s fine,” Vavassori reflected, before adding: “We said it even before playing the quarterfinal match: whoever came in would give their all. We’ve grown together; we have a very strong sense of teamwork. When you have a team this united, individual aspirations take a back seat.”