Carlos Alcaraz has backed the idea of not holding the Davis Cup Finals every year to make the event more ‘unique’ and attract top names.
The Spaniard weighed in on the debate about the team event following his win over Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals on Thursday, which secured him the year-end No. 1 position. Alcaraz is just two wins away from winning the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. Something that hasn’t been achieved by a Spanish player since 1998.
Should Alcaraz triumph in Turin, he will have little time to celebrate, with the Davis Cup Finals getting underway next week. Eight teams will play in the knockout tournament, which will take place at the Bologna Fiere exhibition centre in Italy.
“I think the Davis Cup is one of those tournaments that you’re not used to feeling and playing because you’re playing for your country, you’re playing with your teammates. It’s totally different,” said Alcaraz.
“I think it’s one of the most privileged things you can do in our sport, representing your country.” He added.
Leading up to the event, Lorenzo Musetti became the latest player to withdraw due to physical and family reasons. The decision comes after playing four weeks in a row on the Tour. Another notable absentee is Jannik Sinner, who decided not to play in order to have a longer off-season.
Speaking about his Italian peers, Alcaraz has defended their decision not to play.
“I would say it’s normal for them because the season has been so long. They might keep it to have one more week to recover, to do a vacation, to do pre-season, which is understandable. It’s normal,” he said.
As for the Davis Cup format, Alcaraz believes adjustments should be made to increase its appeal. Currently, the top tier of the competition is made up of 26 nations – 14 ranked 3rd-16th from the 2024 Finals and the 12 winners from World Group 1. They take part in 13 home-or-away ties with the winners progressing to the Qualifiers second round, as well as the 2024 runners-up. Then, in the second round, the seven winners will progress to the finals along with the host nation.
“They have to do something in this event because I think playing every year is not as good as it might be if you’re playing every two or three years,” said Alcaraz.
“I think if the tournament is played like every two or every three years, the commitment of the players is going to be even more because it’s unique.”
Alcaraz’s Spain is scheduled to play the Czech Republic on November 20th.
