"Between Sinner and Federer, there is no relationship"

This weekend marks the start of a new edition of the Laver Cup. In it, Jannik Sinner will also not be present. Since his emergence on the circuit and establishing himself among the best in the world back in 2021/2022, the Italian has never participated in the tournament organized by Roger Federer. The truth is that he is always invited, but he has yet to accept that invitation to attend for the first time.

This has, evidently, raised suspicions. It is strange that Sinner has not signed up for a tournament that takes place in just one weekend, requiring minimal wear and tear, that is conducted by teams and features star players like Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev, with whom he would team up, in addition to being well-paid (it is said that there is a fee of one million dollars for Grand Slam winners). There must be something that is not publicly known.

Sinner receives invitations and decides not to accept

Tony Godsick, Federer’s longtime agent, partner of the Swiss, and one of the creators of the tournament, commented in La Stampa, in January 2025, that they have invited Sinner every year, but he has declined the invitation. The tournament always invites the three best Europeans in the Ranking after Roland Garros, but every year he has said ‘No’. Godsick explained Jannik's absence by referring to the Italian's meticulous planning and made it clear that “the doors are always open” for him.

The tournament organization acknowledged this in Berlin 2024. Steve Zacks, CEO of the Laver Cup, explained that they talk to Jannik, that they want to have him, and that decisions depend on each player's planning, commercial commitments, and rest periods.

A year later, Sinner addressed this topic in a press conference. At the US Open 2025, he was specifically asked why he had never played in the Laver Cup. He replied that he values his physical condition, his goals, and the need to arrive prepared for official tournaments. “Sometimes it’s just not the right moment or the right schedule,” he summarized.

This explanation could align with his management of the season. However, Sinner has accepted to participate in other exhibitions. For example, he has been attending the Six Kings Slam for two years, which takes place at the end of October and has a similar duration to the Laver. Additionally, in January 2026, he played another exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz in South Korea. There is no general rejection to events outside the ATP circuit; rather, he selectively chooses which ones to participate in.

Sinner has never participated in Federer’s Laver Cup.

When asked about it last year, the Italian explained it was because it hadn't fit into his calendar.

Is it really so?

After some research, it seems that the relationship between the two is not particularly fluid. pic.twitter.com/MPWR3AlFnQ

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) September 22, 2026

Federer and Sinner: from respect to the Clostebol episode

The truth is that Federer and Sinner do not have a connection off the court. It’s not that they dislike each other, as that isn’t the case, but they have not publicly shown any signs of closeness like the good vibes that Roger has, for example, with Carlos Alcaraz. There are hardly a couple of photos together (the latest was a while ago), and they do not follow each other on Instagram.

Federer trained with a teenage Sinner in 2019 and publicly defined him as “a good guy.” Five years later, Jannik was still reminiscing about those sessions and the advice he received from the Swiss: to enjoy the process and keep working hard.

However, something that may have marked a turning point in their relationship happened in August 2024, after the two positive tests of the Italian and the initial resolution of the procedure. Sinner always maintained that he was treated like any other player. His argument was that he could quickly appeal the provisional suspensions because his team immediately identified the source of the contamination.

Days later, Federer was asked about the matter. The Swiss said he trusted that Sinner had not done anything intentionally, but he spoke of an uncomfortable issue, questioning whether he had received the same treatment as other players. Federer mentioned a possible “inconsistency” because he could still compete while the case was being resolved. That may not have sat well with Sinner.

Despite everything, Godsick spoke very well of Sinner in that same 2025 interview. He said he liked his tennis, highlighted his professionalism, and claimed that, due to his behavior on and off the court, he reminded him of Federer himself. It's difficult to reconcile those words with the theory of a veto from Federer’s camp.

Sinner has not shown public animosity either. In January 2026, he expressed regret at not having been able to face Federer and described him as possibly “the most magical player of all time.”

Nevertheless, the fact that they have crossed paths several times in the same tournament, and that Federer has had contact with Alcaraz, sharing training sessions, photos, videos, or meetings, but not with Sinner, suggests that there is likely no relationship between the two beyond being cordial, which could explain why Jannik has not yet participated in this competition.

Being two weeks after the US Open and one week before the Asian tour, Jannik might not find it fitting in terms of scheduling, although this argument could fall apart knowing that he participates in the Six Kings Slam, which is right after three consecutive weeks of tennis with the Asian tour.

It’s hard to believe that Sinner will never play the Laver. It is normal for him to do so at some point, but perhaps his presence will resemble Djokovic’s. That is to say, he will attend a couple of times, but will not have a fixed presence like Alcaraz, whose relationship with Federer is much closer. Unless things change in the future, it seems this pattern will continue to repeat itself in the coming years.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Entre Sinner y Federer no hay relación"