When Nadal carried the flag

Spanish sport celebrates this December 10 a very special birthday: the 20th anniversary of victory in the first Davis cup. As time goes! The heroic team that paraded in the Palau de Sant Jordi was formed, in this order, by Alex Corretja, Albert Costa, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Joan Balcells and the captain, Javier Duarte. Ahead of them walked a teenager with the flag at the ready, whom no one noticed at the time, a 14-year-old dark-haired boy, who in the immediate future was going to star in moments as magical as that one. The standard bearer was Rafael Nadal, who two decades later has raised the racket to a galactic dimension. But there was tennis before him. Of many carats. Ferrero, who led that army with 20 years, then won Roland Garros and it was number one. Coast he also reigned in Paris. Corretja was crowned in the Masters. Y Carlos Moya, who did not play that final, but did head the 2004 title, where his now pupil Nadal already appeared, dominated the Grand slam of land and occupied the world throne. It was a dream generation.

The Davis of 2000 did justice to other Spanish pioneers, to the team led by Manolo santana that succumbed in two finals in Australia in the 60s. Those were other times, in which the champion only had to wait at home for the challenger to defend his crown. Fate wanted Spain to achieve its first title against the same country that had deprived it of success. The Salad Bowl of Barcelona is loaded with symbolism, because it liberated those ancestors, the Santana, Orantes, Arilla, Gisbert and Couder, and launched the most glorious era of national tennis with the conquest of six Davis, the last one last year, a path they were joining Robredo, Ferrer, Feliciano, Verdasco, Bautista, Granollers, Carreño … And, of course, Nadal. The kid who carried, and carries, the flag.