The Davis Cup has a way of marking pivotal moments in a player’s career, unlocking qualities that can sometimes only be accessed while enduring the pressure of carrying the hopes of an entire team, not merely your own. As a raucous crowd inside Málaga’s Palacio de Deportes chanted his name, Jannik Sinner seemed to take a significant step forward as he led Italy to a 2-1 win over Serbia and into a Davis Cup final for the first time since 1998.
In his third battle in 11 days with the world No 1, Sinner trailed Novak Djokovic 4-5, 0-40 on his serve, triple match point down in the final set of an incredible tussle. Somehow, impossibly, he recovered to defeat Djokovic 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. He then returned for the decisive doubles alongside Lorenzo Sonego and the pair defeated Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the tie.
