There was a time when the Davis Cup was not a safe place. He knows Álex Corretjawho made his individual debut against Brazil, in Porto Alegre, in the spring of 1998, winning both of his matches, against Fernando Meligeni and Gustavo Kuerten. “That was hell. It was a kind of park, on the street, converted into a tennis court, a real pressure cooker », he comments to this newspaper.
He knows Albert Costawho had to make his debut two years earlier, also at home, against Israel, with two wins against Eyal Erlich and Noam Behr. They were on the team emilio sanchez, Charles Costa and Corretja, and Manolo Santana I trust myself. It was a very fast track and I played two good games », he recalls on the way to Marbella, where he will attend the premiere of Carlos Alcaraz versus Marius Copilin the second of the singles of the qualifying round against Romania.
«He has an overwhelming character and where he goes depends on himself. He has everything because he is very capable of imposing his rhythm », Corretja points out about the Murcian, who has just won his first ATP 500 two weeks ago in Rio de Janeiro and is already number 19 in the world.
Six-time champion of the competition, Spain, which won its first Davis Cup in 2000, with Corretja and Costa on the team, as well as John Charles Ferreroin the end the hero of the final against Australia and today Alcaraz’s coach, has been forced to play this match after failing to pass the group stage of the last Finals of the tournament, played last December in Madrid.
Alcaraz, who at 18 years old already has three titles, will be able to defend his country after the frustration caused by contracting Covid when he was ready to do so in the last edition of the tournament. “He can’t come at a better time. He is now even more experienced and more physical. I am convinced that he is going to be a great Davis Cup player », maintains Costa. Ready for any challenge, as he has shown in his dizzying career, he will appear, however, in a seemingly comfortable series. “In the early 90s, Davis was a bit of a taboo. There was a lot of disunity in the team. It was in the middle of that decade when the Davis spirit began to ferment. We all understood that we were playing for our country and that it was more important than any other competition”, explains Corretja, former number two in the world.
Connection with the public
This is a tournament that is not made for everyone. Some great players, like today’s captain Sergi Bruguera, double champion of Roland Garros, never endorsed his quality in the Davis Cup. Alcaraz, on the contrary, seems to respond to the stereotype that this competition demands. «He connects very well with the public. He has a very showy and creative game, he does many things, drops, lobs, he has a carefree attitude », points out Costa, winner of Roland Garros in 2002 and today director of the Davis Cup Finals.
“Is brave. It is going to grow, and in the face of any difficulty the public is going to help it come up. That is also the greatness of Davis, a competition that also boosts your confidence. In 1998, the year we reached the semi-finals, Carlos Moya Roland Garros won and I won the Masters”, recalls Corretja.
Spain returns to the Puente Romano Club in Marbella three years after beating Great Britain in the first round of the World Group, still with the old competition system. And it does, at the beginning of a renewal process. Waiting for how much Nadal can still offer, in addition to Alcaraz’s debut, Bruguera will give way to a new doubles pair, formed by Alexander Davidovicha native of the Malaga town of Rincón de la Victoria, and Peter Martinezalready a member of the team in the Finals last year due to the succession of casualties.
The 736 of the circuit
A Robert Baptist, another of those absent on that occasion, will have to open the series. The man from Castellón, recent champion in Doha, will be number 1. His rival, Gabi Adrian Boitan, is number 736 on the circuit. A long time ago Romania, where tennis players of the depth of Ilie Nastase e Ion Tiriaclost any prominence in tennis.
With all tickets sold and despite the rough weather, Puente Romano will host the new Spain led by Alcaraz. Hierarchies aside, because of his youth and his qualities, the horizon of this team that starts today will rest on him. «I will be able to debut, at last. It is a dream since I was a child », he said this Thursday.
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