Alcaraz will debut with Spain in the Davis Cup Finals

Carlos Alcaraz will make his debut for Spain in the Davis Cup Finals, which will be played in Madrid, Innsbruck and Turin from November 25 to December 5.The 18-year-old from Murcia will be part of the team announcing this Monday at the Higher Sports Council (CSD) by his captain, Sergi Bruguera, and to be completed by Pablo Carreño, Roberto Bautista, Marcel Granollers and Feliciano López. “I am very happy that the captain trusts me and that he has called me to the team. For me it is a dream come true … to play in front of so many people dressed in the Spain jersey,” Alcaraz said in Vienna, where play this week. “Rafa is not here, but we still have a great team and we have a chance to win,” he added.

With that sensitive loss of Nadal, who is recovering from his right foot injury, the Navy will begin the defense of the 2019 title (sixth in the Navy) at the Madrid Arena from the capital of Spain, where groups A and B will play, and two quarter-finals, the semifinals and the final will also be played. The block of the first edition of the new Finals is repeated, with the change of Alcaraz for Nadal. In the first phase, the rivals will be Russia, who will go with everything (Medvedev, Rublev, Karatsev, Khachanov and Donskoy) and Ecuador (Gómez, Quiroz, Hidalgo, Escobar and March).

“I have chosen the three best in the ranking at the moment, the best to compete, and with this new format, doubles are capital. That is why I needed Marcel and Feliciano. Two years ago we won three of the five heats with the doubles point. Obviously, it is very important, “explained Bruguera, who has all the tennis players” to play with. ” “I trust everyone for when I need them, if not, I would not take them. It is played indoors, on hard court and at height, which is what benefits Feliciano the most, who is one of our best doubles players.” As for the winning options, the coach does not look at the losses of other teams (Thiem will not be with Austria, Zverev with Germany or Monfils with France, for example). “It will be very difficult, because there will be great rivals and with those conditions of which I have spoken, everything is very equal”.

“We are the current champions in difficult circumstances. The last time we played, two years ago, it was in the worst possible conditions, hard court, indoors and at altitude. But we won.”said the president of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET), Miguel Díaz. “We cannot count on our number one, who we wish the best for, but we have 11 players in the top-100, with the return of Carlos Taberner, which is something that other countries cannot boast about. It will be difficult to win again, even if we are used to it, but there are wickers and a team to achieve it, “he added.

Hams to motivate the team

In addition to the prize and the earnings that would mean for the Spaniards to win the Salad Bowl again, the team members would not expect a ham from Extremadura, like the one that MAPFRE gave them last year and that repeats its offer in 2021, but there would be two, as announced by the president of the CSD, who will contribute one of his collaborators. “The five chosen will be good representatives of the values ​​that Spanish sport wants and must transmit. The tennis family will feel at home, because it is,” said the leader.

The Spanish team one by one

Pablo Carreño: 30 years old, 18th in the world, 6 heats, a balance of 3-5 and a title.

Roberto Bautista: 33 years, 20th, 10 heats, 8-6 and a title.

Carlos Alcaraz: 18 years old, 42nd, debutant.

Marcel Granollers: 35 years old, 8th in doubles, 11 heats, 8-6 and three titles.

Feliciano López: 40 years, 108th, 29 eliminatory, 17-22 and in five titles.