Italian captain Filippo Volandri is urging the tennis authorities to rethink their Davis Cup schedule choice after Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Final 8, citing exhaustion.
On Monday, the four-time Grand Slam champion shared some big news when he revealed that he would not be a part of Italy's team at the upcoming Davis Cup Final 8 event in Bologna. In his statement, the world No. 2 pretty much blamed the calendar for his decision.
"My team and I made this decision because the end of the season is very long, and I need an extra week off to start training earlier," Sinner said in a statement.
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The reigning Wimbledon champion skipping this year'sFinal 8 isn't only a setback for Italy, but it also certainly isn't helping the Davis Cup as an event.
However, Italian team captain Volandri refused to criticize Sinner. Instead, he suggested that he understands why the 24-year-old made such a choice and urged the tennis authorities to address it.
Volandri: The Davis Cup can't be held in the last week of the season
I believe it shouldn't necessarily be played every year. And above all, it needs a better placement: it can't be held in the last week of the season, when everyone is exhausted. If we consider it important, we need to give it the place it deserves. The problem is that it's an ITF event on an ATP calendar that leaves no other space," Italian captain Volandri told Gazzetta.
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This year'sFinal 8 edition is taking place between November 18-23. One of the first things that stands out about the event's date is the fact that it starts only two days after the ATP Finals event concludes.
Sinner led Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup titles in 2023 and 2024. Their 2023 triumph was their first in the competition since 1976.
Sinner has appeared in 50matches so far this year and he owns a 44-6 record, with three titles won.
