ANALYSIS: DID DOPING BAN & DAVIS CUP SNUB COST JANNIK SINNER THE TOP AWARD
Despite winning two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals, Jannik Sinner was snubbed for the Gazzetta Sportsman of the Year by Lorenzo Musetti. His doping ban and Davis Cup snub were key factors.
Jannik Sinner had a great 2025, grabbing two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals. He wrapped up the year ranked No. 2. Still, he didn't get the Sportsman of the Year award at the Gazzetta Sports Awards.
Even though he was out for three months because of a doping ban, Sinner was just behind Carlos Alcaraz in titles won this season. He took home six trophies, while Alcaraz won eight.
Besides his Australian Open, Wimbledon, and ATP Finals wins, the Italian also won the Paris Masters, China Open, and Vienna Open. He earned the most prize money in 2025, pocketing $19,120,641. The $5.071 million check he got at the Finals in Turin—the biggest prize in ATP Tour history—helped him beat Alcaraz ($18,803,427).
But it wasn't enough to win the Gazzetta Sports Award for the second year in a row. Fellow tennis player Lorenzo Musetti took home the trophy instead.
Musetti, ranked No. 8, didn't win any titles in 2025. But he was a runner-up at the Monte Carlo Masters, Chengdu Open, and Hellenic Championships. He also made it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the quarter-finals of the US Open.
The 23-year-old broke into the top 10, starting the year at No. 17 and reaching a career-high of No. 6 in June. He also played at the ATP Finals for the first time but was knocked out after the group stage.
This season has been amazing, with lots of firsts. "I got into the top 10, reached my first final in Monte Carlo, and made it to the Finals for the first time," Musetti said.
I've wanted to improve for a while now. Meeting Sinner and Alcaraz this year helped me see where I can get better. That's why I brought in coach [Jose] Perlas to work with [Simone] Tartarini. I hope this will help me take my career to the next level.
Sinner's ban for failing anti-doping tests in 2024 and his choice not to play at the Davis Cup Finals this year likely influenced La Gazzetta dello Sport's decision to give the award to Musetti.
After winning the Australian Open in January, Sinner was suspended for three months after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.
Later in the year, he stirred up controversy in Italy by not playing in the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna. He wanted a longer break after the 2025 season.
Gianni Valenti, the Italian publication's deputy director, asked Sinner in October to change his mind. He wrote, For any athlete, the national team should always come first. It's something special that brings the country together.
Repeating the success at the ATP Finals in Turin is important. But winning the Davis Cup would be even greater. We hope Jannik reconsiders. He has until November 17th to change his plans. It would mean a lot to his teammates, fans, and his image.
He finished. Think about it, Jannik. Great people know when to change a puzzling decision.
But Sinner didn't change his mind, and Musetti also pulled out due to personal and fitness problems.
The Italians still managed to defend their Davis Cup title, winning three in a row without their two biggest stars.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
