Adriano Panatta Speaks His Mind About Jannik Sinner and Italy

Speaking to Rai 2, Adriano Panatta once again addressed Jannik Sinner’s injury in relation to the Davis Cup. The Italian player, who has just withdrawn from the Beijing tournament, has not yet announced the official date of his return to the court, and his participation with Italy in the Davis Cup is more in doubt than ever.

“Italy is the top seed because it has won the Cup three times in a row, but there’s an Italy with Sinner and an Italy without Sinner,” Panatta said bluntly. “We didn’t know if he’d play in Beijing, let alone if he’ll be in Bologna.” “Spain will be playing with Carlos Alcaraz and Germany with Zverev. We might have the top three players in the world competing in the Davis Cup—I don’t think that’s happened in quite a few years—and there could be an Italy-Spain final; I certainly hope so.”

“The Davis Cup today isn’t like it was 40 years ago —Panatta pointed out—because it’s played over three matches, so the doubles match counts for a lot; often the score goes to 1-1, and we have an excellent doubles team in Bolelli and Vavassori, whom I always rank among the top five pairs in the world.”

Alcaraz openly stated his ambitions ahead of the Finals in Bologna, speaking on the sidelines of the Laver Cup, which he won with Team Europe at London’s O2 Arena. “This year we have a great opportunity, and the Davis Cup is a very important goal for me,” said the Murcia native, who has never won the trophy with Spain and was forced to miss last year’s Finals due to injury.