👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.
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Today’s tennis mood rating: Intrigued with a serious eyebrow raised.
Let’s tennis!
Two Points
🎾 Sinner out at Davis Cup: In its title defense, the Italian team will be without its top player in the Davis Cup Finals. The team announced on Monday that Jannik Sinner would be skipping the event to rest and prepare for the 2026 season. The decision puts to rest the hope of many fans in Italy and Spain — indeed, the world — for a Sinner-Alcaraz battle with country pride on the line.
- What they said: “The Davis Cup is and will always remain his home, and I am certain that Jannik will return to be part of the squad soon,” team captain Filippo Volandri said in a statement.
- Still impressive: Italy remains in excellent hands with this squad: Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, and Matteo Berrettini in singles. The top Italian team of Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli will play in doubles.
- Yes, but: Italian fans ain’t happy about it.
🎾 Ben’s Back: Ben Shelton is back in action in Basel on Tuesday after struggling to return from an injury that took him out of the U.S. Open. He tested the waters earlier this month in Shanghai, but lost his first match to David Goffin in straight sets and then pulled out of the doubles. No doubt he will want to give the remainder of the season a solid go, given his opportunity to qualify for the year-end ATP Tour Finals in Turin. Currently, he sits in the sixth slot. But with thousands of points still on the line, it’s no guarantee.
- Next: Shelton, seeded second in Basel, faces Kamil Majchrzak on Tuesday.
