Carlos Alcaraz leads Spain in Davis Cup | ATP Tour

Davis Cup Finals

Alcaraz leads Spain in the Davis Cup

16 countries are participating in four groups in the Finals that begin this week

September 09, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz will try to take advantage of his status as local favorite this week in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals to recover as quickly as possible from the disappointment he suffered at the US Open.

The PIF ATP Rankings No. 3, who was upset by Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round in New York, will lead six-time champions Spain in Group B in Valencia. Alcaraz will represent his country at the ‘World Cup of tennis’ for the first time since 2022.

In addition to the Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion, Group B will feature other ATP Tour stars such as world No. 11 Alex de Minaur (Australia), No. 18 Ugo Humbert (France) and No. 37 Jiri Lehecka (Czech Republic). All four teams competing at the Fuente de San Luis have been Davis Cup champions.

_{^{Australian Alex de Minaur during the 2023 Davis Cup Finals. (Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF)}}

Bologna, Manchester and Zhuhai are the other three venues that will host the group stage from 10 to 15 September. The champions and runners-up of each group will advance to the Final Phase of the Davis Cup Finals, which will take place in Malaga from 19 to 24 November, where the 2024 Davis Cup champion team will be decided.

Like Alcaraz’s Spain, Italy will be competing on home soil. The reigning champions will have to work hard in Bologna to continue in the competition. The two best Italians in the PIF ATP Rankings, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, will not be available, but captain Filippo Volandri will be able to count on Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Arnaldi and Matteo Berrettini.

Italy’s rivals in Group A are Belgium, Brazil and the Netherlands, who are all chasing their first Salad Bowl.

After reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final in New York last week, Jack Draper looks confident to take charge of Great Britain in Group D competition in Manchester. The 22-year-old Briton is his country’s new big hope following Andy Murray’s recent retirement and will be joined in the Davis Cup squad by Daniel Evans and Wimbledon doubles champion Henry Patten.

Meanwhile, Argentina boasts Top 35 stars Sebastián Báez, Francisco Cerúndolo and Tomás Martín Etcheverry. They will provide tough competition for Draper and his teammates, as well as 2022 champion with Canada, Felix Auger-Aliassime. Finland, who achieved their best result with the semi-finals in 2023, completes Group D.

Finally, Group C moves to Zhuhai. The first Davis Cup Finals event to be held in China will feature Chile, Germany, Slovakia and the United States to settle two more spots.

Brandon Nakashima has been selected to the American Davis Cup team for the first time. Mackenzie McDonald and Reilly Opelka are also part of the American squad, as are Paris 2024 silver medallists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.