World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz is set to lead Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in the absence of Rafael Nadal. On Monday, Spanish Davis Cup team captain Sergi Bruguera nominated Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut and Marcel Granollers for the upcoming knockout phase of the Davis Cup Finals.
Nadal, who recently became a father, is planning to play two more tournaments in the rest of the season – the Paris Masters and ATP Finals. In the absence of Nadal, Alcaraz will be the leader of the Spanish team that will be bidding to win it all in Malaga.
Alcaraz made an effort to represent Spain last month
Shortly after winning the US Open, Alcaraz hopped on a plane and went back to Spain to represent his country in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals. Had Alcaraz decided to skip Davis Cup action in September, nobody would have blamed him.
But he made an effort to suit up and to try to help his country reach the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage. When Bruguera was asked about Alcaraz’s decision to play the Davis Cup just a few days after winning his first Grand Slam title, the captain explained the magnitude of representing your country.
“What you experience playing Davis Cup is completely different. You play for your country and that’s always special. Tennis is a very individual sport. Playing a competition like this allows you to grow personally.
The important thing is to have players in good form, and I think I have that,” Bruguera said. Also, Bruguera said it was impressive what Alcaraz was able to achieve by the age of 19. “We all knew it was going to happen sooner or later.
But the way he won three matches in five sets is an incredible effort mentally as well as physically. Being the youngest No. 1 in the world, there aren’t any words,” Bruguera reflected.
