DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 24, 2024

Filippo Volandri

Jannik Sinner

Matteo Berrettini

Lorenzo Musetti

Simone Bolelli

Andrea Vavassori

Team Italy

Press Conference

J. SINNER/T. Griekspoor

7-6, 6-2

Team Italy - 2

Team Netherlands - 0

THE MODERATOR: Thank you everyone. Thank you, Team Italy, and congratulations on winning for the second consecutive year the Davis Cup title.

We'll take questions in English first.

Q. Jannik, last year you promised Matteo to win this Davis Cup together. Now you have kept your promise. Is there anything else that you're gonna promise to your teammates for 2025? (Laughter.)

JANNIK SINNER: I'm not gonna promise anything (smiling). No, but last year was of course different feeling. Every year is different feelings. Obviously, you know, coming back as defending champions and winning again, it's, you know, one of the best feelings I think for all of us.

Of course having Matteo here as a player and as a teammate, it's a bit different. So I'm very happy and glad that we managed this.

But, you know, to the whole team, we gave 100%. You know, there is a lot of work behind the scenes, which, you know, all of you cannot see. Very tough decisions for Filippo, also. So we are very happy to lift this trophy and of course also to go into the preseason with a bunch of confidence boosts. We are all very happy.

Q. You won four days after the Italian team won the BJK Cup. To the coach, how do you explain the success of the Italian tennis? The president of the Federation said a few weeks ago that it was linked to the fact that TV was widely broadcast and that there were many role models. Are there any other reasons, in your opinion?

CAPTAIN FILIPPO VOLANDRI: Yeah, there are a lot of things, but I think we don't have enough time (smiling). But everything is working in the right way. We have great players, boys and girls, but great persons too, which is I think very important.

Yeah, starting from far, the Federation working in unbelievable way in this year, and then we are, yeah, we are taking all the success, but it's not only, yeah, few things. It's a lot of things, especially these unbelievable guys. They are not, as I said, not only great players but great persons too.

Yeah, so a lot of things. We are really proud. I am really proud about these guys.

Q. I understand that they are all great players, but how do you turn an ordinary player into a great player? That's the question.

CAPTAIN FILIPPO VOLANDRI: It's coming from their family. We have a technical set also working with them since they are young, so we are trying, yeah, to be there, not only for them, for their coaches, for their family too. That's what we do from they are really young, starting from them first.

Q. A question to Simone and Andrea. Are you a little bit disappointed not to play this week?

SIMONE BOLELLI: No, I mean, as I said before, with the team like that, it's okay. I mean, obviously we want to play, we were ready to play, but with Jannik in this condition, No. 1 in the world, Berretta unbelievable this week, so it's normal. We accepted it. Our goal was to bring back the trophy, so everyone was in one direction. We are happy, anyway.

ANDREA VAVASSORI: I think also one of our keys is that we have a lot of different, we can decide what to do now. So it's also a surprise for the other team to put another type of doubles, and I think also that win brought so much confidence also to Matteo that he play unbelievable singles these two days.

So I'm very happy to share this moment with them, because as I said also before the competition and with Matteo, I grew up, when I was young, we shared so many experience together. Jannik, Muso, they are a little bit younger, but amazing human beings.

With Boli, we shared an amazing year. Also, the captain was not easy decisions. Also, we have so many guys like (indiscernible), we are also here for their work in Bologna. Great people, and happy to share this moment with them.

Q. Jannik, having won it now two years in a row, was the first year last year tougher, or do you think coming back and defending was tougher?

JANNIK SINNER: It's tough to compare it. As I said before, every year and every tournament is different. Last year we played one doubles more in the semis, which then, you know, is not easy also to recover for the next day. I don't remember if we had one day off or not last year. But for sure yesterday not playing doubles or staying here for two more hours, you know, it makes a big difference for today's match.

You know, but it's very tough to compare it. We are just happy to have this one more time with us, and yeah, in the future we see how it goes.

Q. For anybody up there, how would you describe what it's like to sit on the sideline and watch Jannik play, especially the way he has played in recent weeks?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I think I can talk for everybody and will do that. It's a special experience. I'm gonna be honest. Last year, when we were here, we were looking each other's eyes, and we were, like, this guy is something else (smiling), something different.

Everybody was saying, we never ever saw someone hitting the ball so hard, so flat, and so many times in. It looked like he couldn't miss.

So since then, I think he lost six matches, so I think he just proved that he's the best in the world. As you can see, he's the most humble guy on the planet, and he came here like he didn't win the ATP Tour finals, he didn't win everything that he won. He came here. He showed so much respect for the team.

Before we step on court in the doubles he wanted to check with everybody it was okay our decision, and I think this is special. I think this is something that you have in your heart. Obviously the tennis is impressive, but I think the way he manages everything off court and relationship with team people is what makes him special and why we have two of these now back in Italy (indicating the trophy).

Q. My question is for Jannik. Many congratulations. I was just wondering, are you able to enjoy these victories now fully and totally in the moment, or do you still feel like there is a little bit of a cloud with the WADA appeal coming up, or are you not thinking about that at all?

JANNIK SINNER: I mean, of course it's in the head a little bit. I always say, you know, we had three hearings, three hearings which came out in a positive way. So hopefully also the next one, it's out.

But for me, the most important part is that all the people who are around me and know me as a human being trust me, no? That's also the reason I kept playing the level I had. Of course I had some ups and downs, and whoever know me I was emotionally a bit down and a bit also heartbroken, no, but sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to stand for it.

This is also, you know, with I think from outside it's always very, very difficult to say if someone has a problem or not, because we always try to compete in the best possible way we are, but I'm not concerned. I will work with them as I did the three previous times, and then we see what's coming out, no? Whatever I can control, I can control. And then we see.

But now, for sure, it's a bit of time off, which is gonna be good for all of us. You know, it was a very long season. We were just joking around that not even in one month we restart again if you want to play tournament straightaway. So you have to also enjoy a little bit the times off, if you can, surround yourself with good people, and that's it.