Jannik Sinner sealed a stellar season by leading Italy to a second consecutive Davis Cup title on Sunday.
The world No. 1 clinched the decisive win in Malaga, beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, securing a 2-0 victory for the defending champions over the Netherlands.
Earlier, Matteo Berrettini played his part with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win over Botic van de Zandschulp, following his dramatic victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis in Italy’s semifinal triumph over Australia.
With the Davis Cup added to his 2024 trophy haul, Sinner now boasts the Australian Open, US Open, ATP Finals, and three Masters 1000 titles.
He has taken an iron grip on men’s tennis during the last third of the season, despite the doping case hanging over his head, winning 29 of his last 30 singles matches.
Although Griekspoor hung on well in the opening set and saved three match points in the second, there was never any real doubt about the result, and Sinner was embraced by his teammates after the Dutchman’s final return landed wide.
Struggling to make himself heard above the Italian fans, the 23-year-old said, “I’m very, very proud of the whole team. There’s a lot of work behind it and we are very happy to hold this trophy again.
“It was a very difficult day today because anything can happen. It feels like being in Italy, so we are very happy. It’s a very important competition for the whole of Italy.
“You have different pressure and a different weight of having Italy on your shoulders. But I think we all handled it really, really well.
“If it weren’t important, I wouldn’t be here. It means so much to me. I’m very happy and honored to be part of this.”
Berrettini was in tears as he celebrated one of the best moments of his career.
The former Wimbledon finalist has endured numerous injury setbacks in recent years and was on the sidelines as a cheerleader 12 months ago.
“I once again realized how much I care about the Davis Cup,” he said. “Living those moments, I took all this energy and I was like, ‘OK, next year, you’re going to be here, you’re going to be fighting for Italy.’
“I used that as motivation for the training sessions and everything that happened afterward.”
Italy is the first country to win consecutive Davis Cup titles since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013, while they completed a Malaga double after the women’s team won the Billie Jean King Cup on Wednesday.