« I am proud to be Italian, I am very happy to have been born in Italy and not in Austria , or somewhere else, because in my opinion this country deserves much more, even than what I am doing».

It seems absurd to have to justify oneself for being born on either side of a border, yet Jannik Sinner does so. With his usual grace and without stirring controversy, the South Tyrolean champion, in Turin ahead of the start of the ATP Finals scheduled for Sunday, answers questions from Sky Sport director Federico Ferri.

“Some say that South Tyrol is different, Sicily is totally different, but that's also our fortune, strength lies in differences,” adds the world number 1.

Sinner then explained his decision not to participate in the Davis Cup this year: "At the end of the season, a week is really a lot for us athletes. If you have an extra week of preparation, it's incredibly important, especially for the start of the season but also in the long term and for injury prevention. So for me this year, there was no doubt whatsoever that this was the right choice. Last year I didn't play in Paris, and I wanted to play the Davis Cup because I promised it to Berrettini when we won in 2023. "

Italy, Jannik concluded, still has "an incredible team even without me, and the thing I don't like is that no one's talking about it. The chance of winning is high."

(Unioneonline/L)

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