Davis Cup 2025: And after the storm, captain Ferrer finds joy again: “I felt the adrenaline again” | Tennis | Sport

It is difficult to process a defeat for an elite athlete, so the four members of the Spanish team and its captain, David Ferrer, sensed a strange internal mix: well, in fact, they competed one on one against the hosts. But “bittersweet”. Nothing to complain about, they were there until the end. But having gotten this far… Nuances (“details”) and the absolute exercise of hegemonic Italy, which until 2023 had obtained only one Davis Cup title, in 1976, and in the blink of an eye has already collected four, above Germany, the Czech Republic or Russia. There are three in succession, something that has not been achieved since the time of the United States, the most successful in the competition (32), linked up to five in the period from 1968 to 1972.

“It wasn’t easy playing at home, but I’m very proud,” commented David Ferrer after a tight, but somewhat logical, result. Against the national team of the moment, in Bologna and in front of his people. Indoor. Apologies? Nobody. Just thanks. “It was a very tight match, but in the important moments they (the Italians) were able to compete very well,” continued the coach, who, far from feeling disconsolate, perceives a discovery in what he experienced. “I don’t see it as a drama, but as something very beautiful. Winning the cup won’t change their (the players’) lives, but they will always have this memory, everything they experienced,” explained the Alicante player. Despite everything, happy again. Gone are the days of anxiety.

Since taking over the reins of the team, Ferrer has had to deal with the vicissitudes of the captaincy, marked by a growing detachment from the competition resulting from how everything is set up. Tennis players are increasingly watching over their individual careers, so if one year they couldn’t count on Carlos Alcaraz, the next they found themselves with the hot potato in their hands due to the farewell of Rafael Nadal, if not the last circumstance: a two in one. The Murcian suddenly left the list due to a muscle problem, just two days before the premiere and a month before the Spanish tennis player with the best result classificationAlejandro Davidovich expressed his sorrow to the newspaper Brand.

“It was Ferrer’s decision and I respect it.” “Before he called me I had already told him to count on me, because it will always be a pride for me to represent Spain. It was his decision and I accepted it.” “I’m at my best classificationthe number 18 in the world and I am the Spanish number two, so I believe I deserved to be among the four best players of my country, with all due respect to my teammates.” “Now my goal is to focus on what remains of the season and prepare to reach the highest levels next year”, explained the Andalusian, who by aiming directly for 2026 ruled himself out as fifth man, knowing that the coach still had one last trick to choose because he had drawn up an initial list of four.

Consistency

Two weeks later Ferrer, 43, wanted to specify the reason for Davidovich’s absence. “He tells me that if he doesn’t make the first list I shouldn’t count on him. He’s excluded from Bologna,” he declared bluntly in Cope’s Big Gameunderlining that the question does not respond to “sporting issues” because he would not have thrown “stones” against his own roof. The fact is that both were criticized from outside, but in conjunction with Alcaraz’s defeat the target was focused on the coach, upset because he was targeted. “The next question, I don’t want to talk about it. I already explained it…”, he replied in the press conference that preceded the quarter-final series, against the Czech Republic.

From some forums it was insinuated that the issue was due to a personal matter, to an alleged disagreement between the two, but in the end Ferrer maneuvered accordingly. In coherence with himself. Davidovich, with a record of five defeats and only one victory in the Davis Cup, had previously opted out of participating in the qualifying series in February (Switzerland) and September (Denmark), so the captain wanted to reward those who had collaborated in Biel and Marbella, reserving one last choice. Ferrer argued at an event organized at the Consiglio Superiore dello Sport (CSD) that, taking into account the state of the players at this point of the season, possible setbacks and the state of form, it is better to get healthy.

Alcaraz’s injury, however, upset plans and Spain, as happened two months ago in Puente Romano, was left with four players; that is, with a smaller strategic margin. “Not having the number one here, logically you have it. But we accept it. We’ve been there before,” said Ferrer, disappointed but at the same time convinced that the same men who had rowed and brought the ship to the final stage, could once again offer optimal performances, up to the task, as happened. “They know how to compete,” he added. “And they are very good…” he added after losing against Italy in a balanced match, despite the final 2-0 and, therefore, without the possibility of the matter being resolved in a double.

The fact is that after the doubts and the waves, Ferrer finally really enjoyed his experience as a coach. “It was a fantastic year, I had a great time. I had fun all week with Jaume, Pablo, Marcel and Pedro. I liked seeing how they fed themselves and wanted more, this is wonderful for a captain. We lost the final, but it is very positive that they were so close to winning the seventh Davis Cup. This will be added for next year,” he said, before deciding: “Here I once again felt things that, since I stopped being a professional (2019), I had never felt make sense This year they made me feel that feeling, the adrenaline, and I thanked them for resting and me too, I’ll do a bit of cycling and everything…”.