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Rome: Jannik Sinner’s decision not to play for host Italy in the Davis Cup Final 8 is being met with a sense of abandonment in his home country — where he was fiercely defended during his doping case earlier this year.

The second-ranked Sinner, who led Italy to tennis’ biggest team trophy the past two years, said that he prefers to prepare for next season instead of helping the Azzurri aim for another title in Bologna next month.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but after Turin (where the ATP Finals are played the week before the Davis Cup), the goal is the start off on the right foot in Australia,” Sinner said, referring to the Australian Open, where he is the two-time defending champion.

“It doesn’t seem like it, but a week of preparation in that period can make a difference,” Sinner told Sky Italia on Monday from Vienna, where he is playing this week.

“We already won the Davis Cup in 2023 and 2024 and this time we decided like this with my team.”

The front-page headline in Tuesday’s Gazzetta dello Sport translated to: “Sinner, think it over again.”

An accompanying editorial in the Gazzetta took Sinner to task for saying he already won the Davis Cup twice, pointing out how he also defended his title over the weekend in a lucrative exhibition in Saudi Arabia.