Is it time for Alcaraz to put his name in that roll call? And will it matter to his rivalry with Sinner whether he gets a Cup or not? Probably not—their head-to-head record and major-title haul will determine who is rated higher in the end. But Nadal’s five Cups will likely be a motivating factor for Alcaraz. By now, Davis Cup is in the Spanish blood, and his captain this week, David Ferrer, will be a living link to the team’s glory years.
Alcaraz’s presence may make Spain the favorites. He’ll be backed up by a solid No. 2 singles player in Jaume Munar, and a top-tier doubles player in Marcel Granollers. But they’ll need to be sharp out of the gate. Their quarterfinal opponent, Czechia, led by Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik, will be a tough out on indoor hard courts. Alcaraz’s match at No. 1 will likely be a must-win.
Who might make an unlikely hero?
Davis Cup has traditionally been the place where the sport’s second-tier players can grab a share of glory and history. For instance, when Serbia won its first title in 2010, Novak Djokovic was the MVP, but he still needed Viktor Troicki to win the deciding rubber.
There are plenty of people who could fit that bill this week.
Even without Sinner, Italy has a strong squad, led by Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Sonego, and Matteo Berrettini, and they’ll be heavy favorites in their quarterfinal with Austria. But at some point they may also need help from their top-notch doubles team, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, who are coming off a semifinal appearance at the ATP Finals in Turin.
