Akin Ayomide
Italy secured a historic third consecutive Davis Cup crown on Sunday after Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli delivered clutch singles victories to earn a 2-0 win over Spain in Bologna.
Backed by a roaring home crowd, Berrettini set the tone with a composed 6-3, 6-4 win over Pablo Carreno Busta in the opening rubber. Cobolli then completed the job in dramatic fashion, battling from a set down to defeat Jaume Munar 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 and handing captain Filippo Volandri’s side another monumental triumph.
The victory gives Italy their fourth Davis Cup title overall, adding to successes in 1976, 2023 and 2024. They also become the first nation to win three straight championships since the Challenge Round era ended in 1971.
Both countries were without key players – Spain missing Carlos Alcaraz and Italy deprived of Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti – but Berrettini and Cobolli rose to the moment.
“It’s the third consecutive one. I’m crying. I didn’t cry for the first one,” an emotional Volandri said. “This is a big, big team. Some of them aren’t even here: Sinner, Musetti, Arnaldi.”
Berrettini, ranked 56th in the world, was in full control throughout his match. After breaking Carreno Busta for 5-3 in the first set, he closed it out efficiently before striking again late in the second to seal the win. The 29-year-old fired 13 aces and 21 winners, extending his Davis Cup singles streak to 11 matches.
“The team is big. We’re guys who love each other, a big team,” Berrettini said before urging Cobolli on: “Now come on, Flavio, go for it.”
Cobolli’s match was a stark contrast – a gritty, rollercoaster battle. Munar stormed to a 5-0 lead and took the first set 6-1. The Spaniard then broke early in the second, but Cobolli refused to fold. The world No. 22 clawed his way back and eventually snatched the set on his seventh set point after a tense tiebreak.
The deciding set was equally intense, with Cobolli earning a crucial break at 6-5 before serving out the match amid thunderous celebrations in the arena.
“It’s impossible to describe this feeling,” Cobolli said. “I dreamed a lot for this night. I don’t know how I won. The match was tough. Jaume played so well. The only thing I know is that I’m world champion.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also celebrated the achievement, praising the team’s “determination, talent and heart” in a message on X.