Jannik Sinner snubbed the 2024 Laver Cup – but could he appear in the future?

The Laver Cup proved to be a huge hit in 2024, with a perfect storm of circumstances making this year’s event in Berlin one of the most memorable so far. The result went down to the wire and ultimately it was the event’s biggest star, Carlos Alcaraz, who proved to be the crucial player, sealing victory for Team Europe with a win over Taylor Fritz in the decisive rubber.

World No 3 Alcaraz and recent US Open finalist Fritz were not the only big names in action, with Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, and Frances Tiafoe all competing.

However, there were a couple of notable admissions from the team event – and perhaps none bigger than the world No 1. Jannik Sinner has never played at the Laver Cup and that did not change in 2024, with the Australian and US Open champion deciding to skip the event in Berlin.

The Italian has now landed in Beijing for his China Open title defence though appeared to spend last week off court, appearing at Milan Fashion Week after supporting Italy’s Davis Cup squad from the sidelines the week before. Getting Sinner, one of the new biggest stars in the sport, to play the men’s team event would be a huge coup; the thought of him playing doubles alongside chief rival Alcaraz is an enticing one.

But, while it did not happen this year, could it happen in the future? Speaking in Berlin, Laver Cup CEO Steve Zacks revealed that Sinner had been invited to compete this year, though was unable to attend.

However, the door is still open for him. “Look, the way the system works is each year the top three players for both sides get invited,” said Zacks.
“In the case of the World, they all accepted, and more than that, as you go down the line. On the other side, it always comes down to individual schedules and what are their priorities at that particular time.