Sinner: Italy handled the pressure to retain Davis Cup

Jannik Sinner believes his Italy team-mates handled the pressure of representing their country well as they retained the Davis Cup on Sunday.

Italy beat the Netherlands in the final, with Matteo Berrettini and Sinner both winning their singles matches in straight sets to clinch the title.

They are the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013, and, after also winning the Billie Jean King Cup last week, they are only the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years.

Sinner, on the back of an incredible season that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals, became just the second player in the Open Era to finish a calendar year by winning at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.

"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."

ITALY CONTINUE THEIR REIGN AS WORLD CHAMPIONS @janniksin takes down Griekspoor 7-6(2) 6-2 to retain the #DavisCup for @federtennis pic.twitter.com/Ah1tCx7oUN

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 24, 2024

However, Sinner's year has been disrupted by an ongoing doping controversy, which has cast doubt on his immediate future in the sport.

"Of course, it's [the doping case] in the head a little bit," Sinner said.

"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."

Berrettini missed last year's Davis Cup through injury, but still went to Malaga to support his team as they won the title.

"I would tell him 'don't give up'," Berrettini said of his former self from 12 months ago. "Last year was really nice to be here, but at the same time, I remember a moment, like, why did I come?

"But after the whole week, I said it was really important for you to come, because I support them, but also for me. I took so much energy from those matches.

"I once again realised how much I care about the Davis Cup. And living those moments, I took all this energy, and I was like next year, you're going to be here, you're going to be fighting for Italy.

"I used that as an engine for the training sessions and everything that happened afterwards."