Log inThe Italians won their second consecutive Davis Cup this weekend in Malaga, and their third in history. This year’s edition also saw Rafael Nadal bid farewell to his homeland, following Spain’s defeat in the quarter-finals.
Two winning singles
Italy, the defending champions, met the Netherlands in the Davis Cup final on Sunday, November 24. After Matteo Berrettini’s victory over Botic Van De Zandschulp 6/4 – 6/2, Jannik Sinner had to secure victory over Tallon Griekspoor to crown his team. After a hard-fought first set, he unrolled in the second to finally win 7/6 (2) – 6/2.
A second consecutive trophy for the Italians, and triple champions after the 1976, 2023 and 2024 crowns, they are the second team to retain the title two years in a row since the Czech Republic, who achieved the feat in 2012 and 2013.
Jannik Sinner at the top of world tennis
Not only has the No.1 player led his team to team victory, but he is also setting personal records: on a run of 26 sets won since the Second Round of the Shanghai Masters 1000 in October, he now has 73 victories on the season for just 6 defeats. At just 23 years of age, and with a lead of almost 4,000 points, he is certain to finish the season at the top of the ATP world rankings, a position no Italian has ever achieved before.
Italy on top
This victory for the Italian men’s team follows the national female champions’ triumph in the Billie Jean King Cup four days earlier. Led by captain Tathiana Garbin, the Italians overcame their Slovakian opponents, who had performed superbly up to that point, to claim their fifth BJK Cup title, their first since 2013.
A defeat in the quarter-finals
As he announced at the beginning of October, Nadal would be bidding farewell to the world of tennis after the Davis Cup in Malaga, on home soil and in front of his home fans. And that moment arrived last Tuesday, November 20, following Spain’s quarter-final defeat by the future finalists: the Netherlands.
Rafa had already lost the first singles match, when the young Alcaraz gave the public hope following his 7/6 – 6/3 victory over Tallon Griekspoor. In an exceptional doubles decider, the experienced pairing of Koolhof-Van de Zandschulp against Alcaraz-Granollers stood out from the crowd and were conclusive on the important points. Taking both sets to a tie-break, the Oranges finally prevailed on Spanish soil 7/6 (4) – 7/6 (3), condemning Nadal to a farewell at the end of the match.
A career like no other
Rafael Nadal will leave an indelible mark on world tennis. From a very young age, he achieved many feats and left behind an impeccable career. His lasso forehand, his preparation rituals, his headband, but above all his countless records will remain etched in stone. To come back to that, Rafa is :
An exceptional career that will go down in the history of world tennis.
