Spain Davis Cup team
The Spain men's national tennis team has represented Spain internationally since 1920. Organised by the Real Federación Española de Tenis (RFET), it is one of the 50 members of International Tennis Federation's European association (Tennis Europe).
| Spain | |
|---|---|
| Association | RFET |
| Captain | David Ferrer |
| ITF ranking | 3 (6 December 2021) |
| Highest ITF ranking | 1 (27 September 2004) |
| Colors | Red & Yellow |
| First year | 1921 |
| Years played | 85 |
| Ties played (W–L) | 213 (135–78) |
| Years in World Group | 34 (46–28) |
| Davis Cup titles | 6 (2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019) |
| Runners-up | 4 (1965, 1967, 2003, 2012) |
| Most total wins | Manuel Santana (92–28) |
| Most singles wins | Manuel Santana (69–17) |
| Most doubles wins | Manuel Santana (23–11) |
| Best doubles team | José Luis Arilla / Manuel Santana (15–7) |
| Most ties played | Manuel Santana (46) |
| Most years played | Feliciano López (15) |
Spain has won the Davis Cup six times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019), and finished as runner-up four times (1965, 1967, 2003, 2012), which makes it historically one of the most powerful countries in the tennis world.
Spain has competed in the World Group created in 1981, for 32 years. From 1997 to 2014, competed for 18 consecutive years, returning in 2017, after winning the World Group playoffs the previous year.
History
Spain competed in its first Davis Cup in 1921 but didn't reach the final round until 1965, when the team led by Jaime Bartrolí lost to Australia. They reached the final again two years later but though they had great players such as Manuel Santana and Manuel Orantes, Spain lost against Roy Emerson and company again.
Spanish fans had to wait 33 years in 2000, to see their team play another Davis Cup final, but this time the Spanish team defeated the Australians in Barcelona with Juan Carlos Ferrero as national hero. But Lleyton Hewitt, who had been defeated by Ferrero three years before, had his revenge very soon, when Spain lost to Australia again in 2003.
The following year, Spain reached the final once again. It was played in Seville and for the first time ever, they didn't have to play against Australia. Their opponents were the United States, and thanks to great performances from Carlos Moyá and an 18-year-old Rafael Nadal, Spain won their second Davis Cup.
Spain reached the final once again in 2008, and they won against Argentina. It was the first time that the Spanish team won the final on foreign soil. Unexpectedly, the Spanish heroes were Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano López, winning one single each and the doubles partnering together. David Ferrer, then World Number 5, lost in straight sets to David Nalbandian in the only match he played in the final; and Nadal, World Number 1, was injured, and he wasn't able to play in Argentina.
After winning the Davis Cup for the third time, Emilio Sánchez stepped down as captain to allow compatriot Albert Costa take his place. In 2009, second-seeded Spain cruised to their seventh Davis Cup final after home victories against Serbia, Germany and Israel, even though Costa struggled to make a team as Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco missed two ties each. Spain played the Czech Republic, which previously eliminated first-seeded Argentina. The final was held in home ground again, where they hadn't lost a tie since 1999. Spain swept the Czechs 5–0 at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, behind great performances from David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal to claim their second consecutive title, and the fourth in ten years.
Spain defeated Argentina in the 2011 final, held for the second time in Seville, by a score of 3–1 to claim their fifth title, and the third in four years.[1]
In 2019, Spain won their sixth title (their first since 2011), defeating Canada in the final 2–0. Rafael Nadal was awarded the Davis Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy, after he won 8 of the 8 matches he participated in.[2]
Davis Cup wins
| Edition | Rounds/Opponents | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1R: Italy QF: Russia SF: United States F: Australia | 1R: 4–1 QF: 4–1 SF: 5–0 F: 3–1 |
| 2004 | 1R: Czech Republic QF: Netherlands SF: France F: United States | 1R: 3–2 QF: 4–1 SF: 4–1 F: 3–2 |
| 2008 | 1R: Peru QF: Germany SF: United States F: Argentina | 1R: 5–0 QF: 4–1 SF: 4–1 F: 3–1 |
| 2009 | 1R: Serbia QF: Germany SF: Israel F: Czech Republic | 1R: 4–1 QF: 3–2 SF: 4–1 F: 5–0 |
| 2011 | 1R: Belgium QF: United States SF: France F: Argentina | 1R: 4–1 QF: 3–1 SF: 4–1 F: 3–1 |
| 2019 | GS: Russia, Croatia QF: Argentina SF: Great Britain F: Canada | GS: 2-1, 3-0 QF: 2-1 SF: 2–1 F: 2-0 |
Results
2000s
| Year | Competition | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | World Group, 1st Round | 4–6 February | Murcia, Spain | Italy | 4–1 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 7–9 April | Málaga, Spain | Russia | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 21–23 July | Santander, Spain | United States | 5–0 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 8–10 December | Barcelona, Spain | Australia | 3–1 | Champion | |
| 2001 | World Group, 1st Round | 9–11 February | Eindhoven, Netherlands | Netherlands | 1–4 | Lost |
| World Group, Qualifying Round | 21–23 September | Albacete, Spain | Uzbekistan | 4–0 | Won | |
| 2002 | World Group, 1st Round | 8–10 February | Zaragoza, Spain | Morocco | 3–2 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 5–7 April | Houston, United States | United States | 1–3 | Lost | |
| 2003 | World Group, 1st Round | 7–9 February | Seville, Spain | Belgium | 5–0 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 4–6 April | Valencia, Spain | Croatia | 5–0 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 19–21 September | Málaga, Spain | Argentina | 3–2 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 28–30 November | Melbourne, Australia | Australia | 1–3 | Runner-up | |
| 2004 | World Group, 1st Round | 6–8 February | Brno, Czech Republic | Czech Republic | 3–2 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 9–11 April | Palma de Mallorca, Spain | Netherlands | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 24–26 September | Alicante, Spain | France | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 3–5 December | Seville, Spain | United States | 3–2 | Champion | |
| 2005 | World Group, 1st Round | 4–6 March | Bratislava, Slovakia | Slovakia | 1–4 | Lost |
| World Group, Relegation playoff | 23–25 September | Torre del Greco, Italy | Italy | 3–2 | Won | |
| 2006 | World Group, 1st Round | 10–12 February | Minsk, Belarus | Belarus | 1–4 | Lost |
| World Group, Relegation playoff | 22–24 September | Santander, Spain | Italy | 4–1 | Won | |
| 2007 | World Group, 1st Round | 9–11 February | Geneva, Switzerland | Switzerland | 3–2 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 6–8 April | Winston-Salem, United States | United States | 1–4 | Lost | |
| 2008 | World Group, 1st Round | 8–10 February | Lima, Peru | Peru | 5–0 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 11–13 April | Bremen, Germany | Germany | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 19–21 September | Madrid, Spain | United States | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 21–23 November | Mar del Plata, Argentina | Argentina | 1–3 | Champion | |
| 2009 | World Group, 1st Round | 6–8 March | Benidorm, Spain | Serbia | 4–1 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 10–12 July | Marbella, Spain | Germany | 3–2 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 18–20 September | Murcia, Spain | Israel | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 4–6 December | Barcelona, Spain | Czech Republic | 5–0 | Champion |
2010s
| Year | Competition | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | World Group, 1st Round | 5–7 March | Logroño, Spain | Switzerland | 4–1 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 9–11 July | Clermont-Ferrand, France | France | 0–5 | Loss | |
| 2011 | World Group, 1st Round | 4–6 March | Charleroi, Belgium | Belgium | 4–1 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 8–10 July | Austin, United States | United States | 3–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 16–18 September | Córdoba, Spain | France | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 2–4 December | Seville, Spain | Argentina | 3–1 | Champion | |
| 2012 | World Group, 1st Round | 10–12 February | Oviedo, Spain | Kazakhstan | 5–0 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 6–8 April | Oropesa del Mar, Spain | Austria | 4–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 14–16 September | Gijón, Spain | United States | 3–1 | Won | |
| World Group, Final | 16–18 November | Prague, Czech Republic | Czech Republic | 2–3 | Runner-up | |
| 2013 | World Group, 1st Round | 1–3 February | Vancouver, Canada | Canada | 2–3 | Loss |
| World Group, Relegation playoff | 13–15 September | Madrid, Spain | Ukraine | 5–0 | Won | |
| 2014 | World Group, 1st Round | 31 January–2 February | Frankfurt, Germany | Germany | 1–4 | Loss |
| World Group, Relegation playoff | 12–14 September | São Paulo, Brazil | Brazil | 1–3 | Loss | |
| 2015 | Europe/Africa Zone Group I, 2nd Round | 17–19 July | Vladivostok, Russia | Russia | 2–3 | Loss |
| Europe/Africa Zone Group I, First round play-offs | 18–20 September | Odense, Denmark | Denmark | 5–0 | Won | |
| 2016 | Europe/Africa Zone Group I, 2nd Round | 15–17 July | Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Romania | 4–1 | Won |
| World Group Play-offs | 16–18 September | New Delhi, India | India | 5–0 | Won | |
| 2017 | World Group, 1st Round | 3–5 February | Osijek, Croatia | Croatia | 3–2 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 7–9 April | Belgrade, Serbia | Serbia | 1–4 | Loss | |
| 2018 | World Group, 1st Round | 2–4 February | Marbella, Spain | Great Britain | 3–1 | Won |
| World Group, Quarterfinals | 6–8 April | Valencia, Spain | Germany | 3–2 | Won | |
| World Group, Semifinals | 14–16 September | Nanterre, France | France | 2–3 | Loss | |
| 2019 | Finals, Group stage | 19 November | Madrid, Spain | Russia | 2–1 | Won |
| 20 November | Madrid, Spain | Croatia | 3–0 | Won | ||
| Finals, Quarterfinals | 22 November | Madrid, Spain | Argentina | 2–1 | Won | |
| Finals, Semifinals | 23 November | Madrid, Spain | Great Britain | 2–1 | Won | |
| Finals, Final | 24 November | Madrid, Spain | Canada | 2–0 | Champion |
2020s
Current team (2022)
All players
References
External links
- Team page on DavisCup.com, the official website of the Davis Cup