Spencer Newman might not be a household name in the world of tennis and has never broken into the world’s top 1000 players. Nevertheless, his desire to play in the Davis Cup is one that highlights the significance of the event.
Newman is based in Florida, where he spends his time coaching at Tennis305 and works as a real estate agent. During his junior years, he was runner-up at the 2007 Orange Bowl tournament in the under 14s category. The Orange Bowl is regarded as one of the most prestigious junior tournaments. He then spent the remainder of his teenage years under the guidance of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) until the age of 17. Later in life, Newman attended the University of Florida to study business management and played men’s team tennis during that period.
In 2016 he had a golden opportunity to play in the Davis Cup, but not for the country he was living in. The 23-year-old has dual nationality due to his father growing up in the Bahamas. Offered a chance to play in the Davis Cup by the Bahamas, it was a opportunity that Newman couldn’t refuse regardless of the financial barrier.
“Playing Davis Cup is among the highest honors any tennis player can receive. I have wanted to be a professional tennis player my entire life. It would truly be a dream come true.” He wrote on his GoFundMe page in 2016.
The problem facing the Florida player was that in order to switch tennis nationalities, he was required to repay $27,000 to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) for their investment in him. It was an obligation that he achieved, helped along by the $5,829 he raised via his funding page. Newman wasn’t the only person in this scenario, his brother Baker was also in a similar situation.
“I had to jump through hoops to play for the Bahamas, but it’s a really cool opportunity for me and my brother,” Newman told The Miami Herald.
“The USTA did a lot for me, but I’d have to be in the Top 20 to play for the U.S. Davis Cup team, and that’s not where I’m at. I always knew in the back of my mind this was a possibility, so when I was approached about it, I decided to go for it.”
This weekend, Newman will represent the Bahamas for the sixth time in the Davis Cup since 2016 when they take on Venezuela. The tie will take place Doral, Florida due to the unstable situation in Venezuela.
Newman will enter the tie with a win-loss record of 5-2 in Davis Cup matches.
