And so even Lorenzo Musetti, our number 6 in the world, will not play in the Davis Finals in Bologna starting on November 18th. The news had been leaked, almost as if to sugarcoat the pill, by Captain Volandri. But the message had been clear to most for days: from the final in Athens lost to Djokovic and yet the Turin Masters still to be played. Courtesy.
Let’s be clear, we won’t be a patched up team, and we will explain it, but that’s not the point. Net of the obvious consideration (for professionals but also simple tennis enthusiasts) that we are faced with self-employed workers-freelance professionals (the two categories do not necessarily always coincide) and therefore have the right to manage themselves as they see fit, it must be said that if Sinner’s lump sum is understandable, Musetti’s is much less so.
Here are the reasons, at a glance. The team, captain and Federation had already been informed by Jannik, in November 2024, that he would renounce the 2025 Davis Finals, even if they were to be played in Bologna. He would also have given up in 2024 – he revealed – but he had promised Berrettini (injured and out of the team during the first Davis triumph of 2023) – that he would wait for him “to win it again together”.
Musetti announced his withdrawal only yesterday evening, after the blow suffered by the unreachable – for everyone except one, the South Tyrolean – Alcaraz. And he motivated her like this: “I’m tired”. With an even more justifying subtitle: “I want to be next to my partner who is about to give birth to our second child. Everything agreed with Captain Volandri”.
And so, regarding the two lump sums, some elements need to be put in order. Jannik is number 1-2 in the world (he alternates with Carlitos in the role), he has won everything there is to win in this sport at the age of 24 (except Roland Garros, by half a centimeter): 4 Slams including Wimbledon, 5 ATP 1000, 6 ATP 500, a Masters Final, 2 Davis, 23 total titles.
Musetti has won almost nothing: only 2 titles, the last of which three years ago; on the other hand he lost 6 finals. Lorenzo has won 57.33% of the matches played in his career (just over one in two, 176 against 131); Jannik won 78.72% of the matches played, 318 against 86). They are the same age. If there is one who can feel more tired than the other, it is perhaps Sinner, who goes to the bottom in tournaments, although the difficult season experienced by Musetti is not lost on us.
Another topic: Sinner renounces Davis 2025, but he made us win two. The comrades are still grateful. In 2023 Sonego and Arnaldi gave him a hand, the following year Berrettini, who brought points in singles and one in doubles. Musetti almost disastrously, the doubles players – despite being good, so much so that they are playing the Master Finals – in the stands.
In short, if there was a player who this year also by virtue of his position in the world ranking – we repeat, 6 – should have carried the team on his back in Bologna, it was Musetti. Sinner has already done it and brought prestige to a country that has been orphaned by tennis since the days of Panatta and co.
Side considerations, completely personal: Musetti is potentially extraordinary but certainly not a lion-hearted man: are you afraid of having to play as first singles player also due to too many accumulated toxins?
Another consideration: Volandri, what weight does he have on the team? Is he a simple selector who then takes note of the players’ decisions? Because then it’s not that difficult to call up the top four Italians in the world rankings to the national team. And what appeal does the Federation have on tennis players? Musetti, for example, like Cobolli, owes a lot to the Federation, which has supported him since he was under 12. President Binaghi will make the best of a bad situation, although he is not a manager inclined to this posture.
Last note: Sinner was targeted with chained balls for his forfeit: “he’s not very Italian and doesn’t love Italy”; “he deserted Mattarella’s invitation” (he had already been there, but it’s certainly an ungrammatical matter, ed.); “he has tax residence in Monte Carlo”, therefore he bypasses taxes (he pays them wherever he plays, in case he saves himself the surtaxes in Italy, in part; ed.). Well, Musetti – like Berrettini – also lives in Monte Carlo, but he is Tuscan (and swears on the pitch like… a Tuscan) so it’s fine.
And if the Italy of Cobolli, Berrettini, Sonego, Bolelli and Vavassori were to achieve the hat-trick in Davis (difficult, very difficult, but not impossible), they will not go up to the Quirinale.