Davis Cup: Italy beats the Netherlands to retain their crown

Italy eased past final debutants the Netherlands in straight sets, on a superb fashion in Malaga on Sunday night to become World champions for the second year running.

The Italian claimed their second straight title when World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings Jannik Sinner defeated Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2), 6-2, after Matteo Berrettini earlier defeated Botic van de Zandschulp.

Sinner’s win completed a 2-0 triumph for his country against the Netherlands and capped another year in which Italian tennis has enjoyed considerable success across the board.

“It has been an amazing year. I’m very proud of the whole team,” said Sinner. “There is a lot of work behind it and I’m very happy to hold this trophy again. It was a very difficult day today, because anything can happen.”

Earlier, Berrettini overcame Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2 to put his country 1-0 up against a Netherlands team competing in its first Davis Cup final. After a hard-fought opening, Berrettini won nine of 11 games from 3-4 in the first set to improve to 5-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with the Dutchman.

“I’m just so happy. Obviously last year I was here to support the team, and this year I brought some points to the cause,” said Berrettini, who missed his country’s 2023 triumph after an injury-disrupted season. “But it doesn’t matter who is playing, we always put our heart on the court. Everybody is giving their best, that is the secret to our team.

“Also the guys who are back home, Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Arnaldi, they won some matches in the previous stage that were really important. It’s a really big team and I’m very happy with the trophy.”

Italy, whose team also included Lorenzo Musetti, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, is the first country to successfully defend the Davis Cup crown since Czechia in 2013. Its third Davis Cup victory comes just four days after the country’s Hologic WTA Tour stars, which included Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini, lifted the Billie Jean King Cup trophy in Malaga.

“It’s amazing, because last year we won for the first time after 47 years,” said Italy captain Filippo Volandri of his team’s latest Davis Cup triumph. “But what I said at the beginning of this journey to the players is, ‘We want to make history, and history is if you can do it twice’. I was thinking in the next few years, but it happened right away and I’m so proud of this team.”