BOLOGNA: Italy carved their names into tennis history on Sunday, securing a stunning third consecutive Davis Cup crown with a 2-0 victory over Spain in Bologna. Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli delivered inspired performances in their singles matches to hand Filippo Volandri’s team a memorable triumph.
Roared on by an electric home crowd, Berrettini set the tone by defeating Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-4 in the opening rubber. Cobolli then produced a gritty comeback, overturning a poor start to overcome Jaume Munar 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 and seal the tie for Italy.
The win marks Italy’s fourth Davis Cup title overall—following victories in 1976, 2023, and 2024—and makes them the first nation to claim three consecutive championships since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1971.
Both sides entered the final without key players, with Spain missing Carlos Alcaraz and Italy without Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti. Still, Berrettini and Cobolli rose superbly to the occasion.
“It’s the third consecutive one. I’m crying. I didn’t cry for the first one. It’s unbelievable. This is a big, big team—some of them not even here: Sinner, Musetti, Arnaldi,” said an emotional Volandri after the victory.
