Bertolucci defends Sinner: "Grand Slams matter, the rest is just a side dish"

Former Italian player Bertolucci has defended Jannik Sinner's controversial withdrawal from the Davis Cup finals in November.

The announcement of Jannik Sinner's withdrawal from the 2025 Davis Cup finals, which will be held in Italy, has caused a wave of confusion. But for Paolo Bertolucci, former Italian tennis star, it's time to set the record straight.

"I don't see anything wrong with it, also because I think it was agreed upon. Tennis has changed. Today, the four Grand Slams matter, then come the ATP Finals. The rest? It's just a side dish.

I think there's a lot of hypocrisy. I challenge all those who criticize him to claim they would have given up that money to play the Davis Cup. He's already won it for us twice. So he's cleared of any suspicion.

Moreover, the competition will remain in Bologna for another two years. So he'll certainly play it again. In recent years, we've seen many great players skip the Davis Cup: Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, and even Alcaraz. Sinner is neither the first nor the last," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.