Jannik Sinner ended an extraordinary 2024 season on a high by helping Italy retain their Davis Cup title.
The world number one continued his dominant year with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win over Tallon Griekspoor to secure a 2-0 victory against the Netherlands.
That came after Matteo Berrettini defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 to hand Italy an early advantage in Malaga.
It caps a triumphant week for emerging tennis powerhouse Italy after the women’s team secured the Billie Jean King Cup title on Wednesday.
“We are very happy to be back here holding this trophy. It feels like we are in Italy,” Sinner said.
“You have a different pressure and a different weight of having Italy on your shoulders – I think we handled it really well.
“If it was not important I would not be here. For me, it means so much to me.”
For Sinner, it concludes a successful season that saw him claim his first two Grand Slam titles at January’s Australian Open and September’s US Open.
The 23-year-old, who also won the season-ending ATP Finals earlier this month, has lost just six of his 76 ATP Tour matches in the last 12 months.
Speaking in a news conference after their Davis Cup triumph, Berrettini described Sinner as “the most humble guy on the planet”.
However, Sinner’s year has been disrupted by an ongoing doping controversy which has left his immediate future in the sport uncertain.
“Of course it’s in the head a little bit,” Sinner said about the doping case.
“The most important part is all the people who know me as a human being trust me — that’s why I kept playing the level I have.
“I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to [deal with] it.”
Sinner looked fatigued as he was forced to a tie-break in the opening set against Griekspoor, but surged late on in the second to seal Italy’s third Davis Cup triumph on his fourth match point.
Italy become the sixth team to win back-to-back Davis Cup titles since the final stage was introduced 52 years ago, and first since the Czech Republic in 2013.
