"It is no secret that he has been kind of conservative" - Lorenzo Musetti confident of Davis Cup prospects despite Jannik Sinner absence

Lorenzo Musetti has ended his ATP 2026 season on a positive note with some commendable results in recent times. His Stockholm Open campaign ended at the semi-finals stage against the No.1 seed Taylor Fritz, running out of gas in a 6-4, 6-2 defeat. However, there is still one more competition on Musetti's radar, with Italy looking to retain their Davis Cup title. Musetti seemed confident about their chances, even without Jannik Sinner.

Musetti saw the positives from another deep run at the end of the season. Thanks to his great form in recent times, he simply did not have the energy to challenge to the best of his abilities, as he told Bolavip afterwards.

“I am really pumped to do well in the next season," he said. "Today, I simply didn`t have the energy and the legs to compete, but I am looking so much forward to next season, where the first step will be Hong Kong and then the Australian Open.

“I finished the season well with a good level and improvements. I am looking forward to regaining what I have lost this year.”

Musetti's season is not yet at an end. He will have a week off as the ATP Finals are played in his native Italy. He debuted in the tournament last year after Novak Djokovic pulled out right beforehand, but due to his own injury problems this campaign, he has been unable to make a return to the climax event.

However, he will represent his country at the Davis Cup Finals. He did not participate last year as Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini stormed to glory in Bologna for a third consecutive title. He will join up with Cobolli and Luciano Darderi as the singles players, with Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori completing the five-man squad as the doubles players.

However, the elephant in the room is the absent Sinner. The World No.2 has been out of action since defending his Wimbledon title, missing out due to a knee injury. He would have been the number one name on the team sheet and possibly made Italy the overwhelming favourites. While Spain and Germany can call upon their big talents, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, Italy will have to cope without Sinner.

“Well, it is a pity not to have Jannik on the team for the Davis Cup Finals, because he is probably the best player in the world, especially on that surface. It`s a pity in general not to have him on the Tour, because he is the leader of the Tour," Musetti commented.

However, he still remained positive. “We still have a strong group of players, so I have high expectations. We never give up, which will be the key to win the Davis Cup again. All the guys in the team will do their best to defend the title and make the fans happy on our home soil.”

2026 has seen injuries ravage the ATP Tour. Alcaraz missed six months with a wrist injury, and now Sinner is the one on the sidelines. Musetti knows this feeling all too well with his experiences this season.

“I think we saw this year that a lot of top players have been dealing with injuries, which is always a tough situation," he said. "Everyone would love to have Jannik back, so I am wishing him all the best, and then we will see when he returns to the court.”

Sinner, being only 25, has opted to play the long game, not wanting to hamper his tennis career. “I am pretty sure that he knows the way to come back. He is a true professional and knows how to deal with the situation. It is no secret that he has been kind of conservative, simply because he didn`t want to rush anything, because he is still looking at the many years he has left on the Tour.”

The five-time Grand Slam champion is planning a return Down Under at the start of 2027. He will not be the only Italian with a lot of eyes on him, with Musetti back on the rise.