He then encountered one of the biggest setbacks of his career, as Sinner was suspended for three months<\/a>, bringing an end to the \u2018Clostebol\u2019 saga.<\/p>\n Returning on the clay, Sinner reached the final of the Italian Open and French Open, but came up short against Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> on both occasions.<\/p>\n Finally getting one over on his biggest rival, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final<\/a> to win his second major of the year.<\/p>\n Sitting pretty atop the ATP<\/a> rankings, with two of the three Grand Slams in his back pocket, things couldn\u2019t be going much better for Sinner, although that\u2019s not to say he hasn\u2019t been embroiled in controversy.<\/p>\n Sinner\u2019s fellow Italian and national tennis hero, Nicola Pietrangeli, has made several comments about the world number one that haven\u2019t gone down well.<\/p>\n However, looking to clarify his thoughts on Sinner<\/a>, Pietrangeli has now claimed that the media were twisting his words.<\/p>\n During an interview with Super Tennis<\/a>, Italian tennis legend Pietrangeli suggested the media have been forcing a false narrative about him and Sinner.<\/p>\n \u201cInterviews? They change my words, that\u2019s enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, in the end, what I don\u2019t understand is how people can think I want to speak badly of [Jannik] Sinner because I\u2019m jealous.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why? Why should I speak badly of him? How dare they?\u201d<\/p>\n Recently discharged from hospital, Pietrangeli made a joke about the costs of healthcare, referring to Sinner once more.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything they tell me has a cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019m not as rich as Sinner\u2026 and I\u2019m just joking because I can already see they\u2019re going to start another controversy.\u201d<\/p>\n During an interview last November, Pietrangeli claimed Sinner would never break his Davis Cup record<\/a>, suggesting he would need \u2018three or four lifetimes\u2019 to do so.<\/p>\n Pietrangeli holds the record for most Davis Cup<\/a> matches played and won, which, in fairness, is likely to stand the test of time.<\/p>\n NameAgeNationDavis Cup matches playedDavis Cup matches wonNicola Pietrangeli91Italy164120Roger Federer43Switzerland7052Novak Djokovic37Serbia6246Andy Murray37Great Britain5242Rafael Nadal38Spain4337Jannik Sinner23Italy1915Carlos Alcaraz21Spain86Notable ATP stars and how far they are away from Nicola Pietrangeli\u2019s record<\/p>\n Earlier this year, when the 23-year-old won his second consecutive Australian Open title, Pietrangeli suggested Sinner\u2019s win over Zverev was \u2018boring\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whilst the headline quotes don\u2019t always paint Pietrangeli in the best light, in his defense, he does often qualify such statements with praise for the Italian world number one.<\/p>\n The 91-year-old clearly has a lot of respect for Sinner, as the youngster builds on the legacy he started in 1959.<\/p>\n List of Italian Grand Slam champions<\/p>\n![\"Jannik](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2225103397-1024x644.jpg\")
Photo by Clive Brunskill\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Nicola](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-1244964139-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Marco Canoniero\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Jannik](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2226180629-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Tim Clayton\/Getty Images<\/p>\n