Undisputed No. 1: Italy ends the year as the top team in Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup rankings

With Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini leading the charge, Italy concluded an incredible year atop both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup rankings, cementing their status as the dominant tennis powerhouse today.

Italian tennis is arguably experiencing the best period in its history. While Sinner has stolen the spotlight, several players have contributed to placing the European nation at the pinnacle. The 23-year-old claimed two Grand Slam titles and reached World No. 1 for the first time this year, amassing eight titles and a remarkable 73-6 record in 2024.

On the women’s side, Jasmine Paolini ended the season as World No. 4 after reaching back-to-back finals at the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as securing her first WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

However, strong performances on the Tour do not always guarantee success in international competitions. In mid-November, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals took place, where Italy, runners-up in 2023, claimed the title after defeating Japan, Poland, and Slovakia in the final. The Italian women’s team featured Paolini, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Lucia Bronzetti, Sara Errani, and Martina Trevisan.

A week later, the Italian men’s team followed suit by securing the Davis Cup title, led by Sinner. The squad also included Lorenzo Musetti, Matteo Berrettini, Andrea Vavassori, and Simone Bolelli, achieving a historic back-to-back championship by defending their 2023 title. En route to victory, they defeated Argentina, Australia, and the Netherlands.

With the release of the ITF nation rankings, both the Italian men’s and women’s teams finished at the top of their respective lists. On the women’s side, Canada, Czechia, Slovakia, and Australia completed the top five. For the men, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Germany secured the remaining top spots. The countries that featured in the top 10 of both rankings included Canada, Australia, the USA, and Spain.