Italy is the 2024 Davis Cup winner. The Azzurri around world number one Jannik Sinner did not show any weakness against the Netherlands on Sunday and defended their title from last year.
He secured Italy’s historic victory: Jannik Sinner.
IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire
It was already clear in advance that Italy would be the towering favorites in the final in Malaga – and the southern Europeans fully lived up to their role. Matteo Berrettini initially gave the Italians a 1-0 lead with a 6:4, 6:2 win against Botic van de Zandschulp. The match was only even at the beginning, but became more and more one-sided as the game progressed.
After 75 minutes, Berrettini got his first match point, but initially didn’t use it, but shortly afterwards the strong-serving Roman made everything clear with a strong service. The big difference in the match in the end was the serves, with the world number 35 scoring a whopping 16 aces, while van de Zandschulp, who was 45 places lower in the world rankings, only managed three. Ultimately, the larger individual class prevailed – and for Berrettini, who missed winning the title last year due to injury, the Davis Cup was within reach.
Tennis festival weeks in Italy
Because Jannik Sinner then had the chance to close the bag against Tallon Griekspoor early on – and that was also an unequal duel, as the industry leader met number 40. A class difference that didn’t necessarily show itself on the court. Griekspoor resisted and even forced Sinner into a tiebreak in the first set. In this one, however, the world number one played almost flawlessly and won the round, in which he shone with a total of twelve aces, 7:2.
But the second set was no longer balanced. Sinner improved and, after an early break and re-break, didn’t give up another one from the fifth game onwards. In the end there was a 7:6 (7:2), 6:2 win, which gave Italy the title defense. “Thanks to the whole team. We tried to defend our title and managed it,” Sinner said afterwards: “That’s why we’re extremely happy. We have a fantastic team.”
Italy has thus become something like the epicenter of global tennis. Because the tennis festival weeks continue on the boot, as the women’s team had already won the Billie Jean King Cup a week ago. Italy is only the fifth nation to triumph in both the women’s and men’s events in the long history of tennis team competitions in the same year.
