Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti may have missed this year's Davis Cup Final 8, but they kept in regular touch with the Italian team and provided them "inspiration" in Bologna, says Matteo Berrettini.
Less than a month before the start of the Davis Cup Final 8, four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner announced that he was withdrawing from the Bologna event. Then, just a couple of days before the start of the event, Italy also lost the services of its second-best-ranked player Musetti, who needed rest after playing lots of tennis late in the season.
Although Italy was without its two biggest stars, they still stormed past the competition in Bologna to win their third consecutive Davis Cup title. Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli delivered big time for the Italian team, each going 3-3 in singles and ensuring there would be no need for a deciding match in any Italy's ties.
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Berrettini: Sinner and Musetti were there for us and a huge source of inspiration
"Jannik and Lorenzo are still there; they have been close to us every day and are a huge source of inspiration for everyone. We are a huge group, whether called up or not. We are taking tennis to an incredible level, both in results and in the affection we receive and in what children develop in relation to tennis. The best thing is to inspire someone to believe in a dream, and since I was part of that, it fills me with joy." the 2021 Wimbledon finalist told Gazzetta.
When Sinner guided Italy to the Davis Cup title in 2023, it was Italy's first title in the competition since 1976. Now, after repeating as champions in 2024 and 2025, the Italians have four titles in the team competition.
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Heading into 2026, it is already safe to say that Italy will once again be one of the top - if not the No. 1 favorite - for the Davis Cup title. There will also be Spain among the top contenders, who didn't have Carlos Alcaraz in Bologna because of a hamstring injury.
