Italy faces Spain for the Davis Cup title in Bologna on Sunday, but Jannik sinner And Carlos Alcaraz are both absent from the Tennis World Cup final.
Alcaraz and sinner faced in six major finals in 2025including the Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as the ATP Finals, but they will not meet in the Davis Cup.
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But both players withdrew from their respective teams before the tournament.
After winning back-to-back Davis Cups with Italy in 2023 and 2024, Sinner withdrew from competition before the ATP Finals. signaling his preference to end his season early and rest before the start of the 2026 season.
Alcaraz had signed on to lead Spain’s bid for a first Davis Cup title since 2019, but the world number 1 was forced to withdraw after injure his hamstring during his ATP final defeat against Sinner. Alcaraz said he was “heartbroken.”
In their absence, Italy and Spain both reached the final in Bologna. Italy will try to achieve a Davis Cup hat-trick, with Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli, stars for the hosts and winning two matches each in victories over Austria and Belgium.
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Cobolli, 23, celebrated the victory of his life against Zizou Bergs in the semi-final by ripping off his jersey, after saving seven match points to win a 32-point tiebreak.
Italy are also missing number 2 Lorenzo Musetti but are now on course to complete their first Davis Cup hat-trick in 53 years.
Spain, meanwhile, needs victories from its doubles specialists Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez to win close matches against Czechia and Germany.
They beat Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz after Pablo Carreno Busta beat Jan-Lennard Struff in singles, but Jaume Munar lost to world number 3 Alexander Zverev.
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In Sunday’s final, former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini will face world number 89 Carreno Busta in the opening singles match, before 22nd-ranked Cobolli takes on world number 36 Munar.
If the double is necessary, the Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, who have not yet played this week, will challenge Granollers and Martinez.
