MADRID, 15 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Feliciano López, 41 years old and winner of the competition four times, has been appointed tournament director for the 2023 Davis Cup Finals, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced Thursday.
Feliciano López will lead the organization of the group stage of the 2023 Davis Cup Finals, which will take place from September 12 to 17, and Final 8 in Malaga, from November 21 to 26.
The group stage will be held in Bologna, Manchester, Valencia and a Croatian city yet to be confirmed. Four teams will play in a round-robin format at each venue, and the best two teams from each group will advance to the Final 8 in Malaga.
Feliciano López confessed that it is a “great honor” to become the tournament director of the Davis Cup Finals. “I thank the ITF for this appointment. I have very special memories of playing in this competition, so I am very happy to take a leading role in putting these events together. As an athlete, representing your country is the pinnacle of your career. “, he indicated.
Lopez admitted that the Davis Cup has always meant a lot to him. “You can see how much it means to every player who has competed in this competition over the years. As Tournament Director, my only goal will be to build on the recent success of the competition and make it the best possible experience for players and fans. from all over the world. I really want to start,” he confessed.
López represented Spain in the Davis Cup five times, winning it in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019. In the 2008 final against Argentina, he defeated Juan Martín Del Potro in singles and Agustín Calleri and David Nalbandian in doubles, alongside Fernando Verdasco, to help Spain lift the trophy for the third time.
With Verdasco, López achieved the decisive victory in the 2009 final against the Czech Republic, beating Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek in Barcelona. He was also part of the team that won the titles in 2011, against Argentina in Seville, and in 2019, with a victory over Canada in Madrid.
He became director of the Mutua Madrid Open in 2019 and took over as director of the Davis Cup Finals in what he has announced will be his last season as a professional player.
ITF President David Haggerty welcomed Davis “on board”. “I have no doubt that he will be a great asset to the competition. He is a Davis Cup legend and embodies everything competing in it stands for: passion, entertainment and pride in representing his country. His playing record speaks for itself. himself and is adored throughout Spain for good reason, but he has also shown his talent as a tournament director in recent years and that is why we have brought him in at this stage of the competition,” he commented.
For Haggerty, the ITF and Lopez are “totally aligned” with the goals of continuing the recent growth of this “wonderful event.” “His appointment of her creates even more excitement for the group stage finals in September and Final 8 in November,” she added.
Spain is included in group C that will play in Valencia along with Serbia, the Czech Republic and South Korea. Tickets are now on sale.