MALAGA, Spain — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy’s second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season on the prime of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 on Sunday for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands within the last of the staff competitors.
Matteo Berrettini put Italy forward with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp within the opening singles match on an indoor exhausting courtroom on the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena in southern Spain.
The Italians, backed by a loud contingent of singing followers who performed drums and have been armed with megaphones within the crowd of 9,200, grew to become the primary nation to win the Davis Cup twice in a row for the reason that Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013.
“We’re very glad to carry this trophy once more,” the No. 1-ranked Sinner stated. “It is a vital competitors. … If it weren’t necessary, I would not be right here.”
Italy’s ladies gained the Billie Jean King Cup by defeating Slovakia on Wednesday.
When Sinner completed off the Davis Cup with a service winner, he raised his arms. Inside seconds, Berrettini and their different teammates have been gathering on the courtroom to start the celebration, wrapping their arms round each other and bouncing in unison. Captain Filippo Volandri grabbed Sinner and lifted him off the bottom.
Sinner went 4-0 in Malaga, together with a victory in doubles with Berrettini in opposition to Argentina within the quarterfinals.
Sinner hit 15 aces in opposition to Griekspoor and stretched his unbeaten streak in tour-level singles competitors to 14 matches and 26 units, together with a title on the ATP Finals every week in the past.
His ascension is among the yr’s largest tales in tennis. Sinner went 73-8 with eight singles titles in 2024, together with his first two Grand Slam trophies arriving on the Australian Open in January and the U.S. Open in September. The latter got here shortly after he was cleared of wrongdoing in a doping case related to 2 constructive assessments for steroids in March; the World Anti-Doping Company’s enchantment of that ruling continues to be pending.
The Netherlands, which eradicated Rafael Nadal and Spain within the quarterfinals, reached the Davis Cup last for the primary time.
Till final yr, Italy’s solely Davis Cup triumph got here in 1976. So Volandri stated he instructed his gamers to think about their purpose this fashion: “We need to make historical past.”
As soon as ranked as excessive as No. 21, and at the moment No. 40, Griekspoor by no means has been previous the third spherical at a serious event. However he’s geared up with a harmful serve — to the tune of 25 aces in a semifinal victory in opposition to Germany on Friday — that helped him maintain his personal deep into the primary set Sunday.
Griekspoor, who started the day 0-5 in opposition to Sinner, really earned the primary break possibilities, holding two at 1-all after three straight groundstroke misses by the Italian. However Sinner took the following 4 factors to carry. After they bought to the tiebreaker — which was preceded by dueling chants of “Italia! Italia!” and “Let’s go, Tallon! Let’s go!” — it was Sinner who was steadier, extra prepared for the second, and he constructed a considerable lead earlier than closing with an ace.
Sinner went up a break at 2-1 within the second, earlier than Griekspoor made one final stand. He broke proper again, then led 30-love on his serve within the following recreation, drawing roars from the orange-wearing Dutch followers. However Sinner remained steadfast, and broke for 3-2 when Griekspoor double-faulted, then walked to the sideline and cracked his racket in opposition to the Dutch bench.
Sinner would not drop one other recreation the remainder of the best way.
Earlier, 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini wanted a while to search out his groove in opposition to the Eightieth-ranked van de Zandschulp, the person who beat Nadal within the final match of the 22-time Grand Slam title winner’s profession and upset four-time main champion Carlos Alcaraz on the U.S. Open.
However Berrettini took management by grabbing the opening set’s final three video games, and Sinner left his front-row seat behind Italy’s bench to go to the locker room and put together to shut the deal.
