David Ferrer: "I want the team to enjoy this"

Fernando Murciego | 14 Sep 2024 | 00.46

David Ferrer celebrates Spain's victory in the Davis Cup. Source: Getty

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Twelve months ago, David Ferrer made his debut as the captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team, which was quite bitter. A year later, in the same place but with a different team, Spain only needed one round to achieve the goal of being among the top eight in Malaga. The joy on the faces in the press room reflects the satisfaction of a team that needed to bring some joy to the fans, although they still face Australia on Sunday. Now, it’s time to enjoy and acknowledge the well-done work of all team members, starting with the great captain, who made the following statements.

Qualified for the Final Phase

"I am very happy and proud to have achieved the goal. Once again, we had a tough round against France, but in the end, we made it, and we are in Malaga. I want the team to enjoy this moment, even though the week is not over yet, we still have a series on Sunday, but the main mission has been accomplished."

Series against France

"Winning the first match of a round is always crucial. In this case, we knew that Roberto (Bautista) is a great fighter, though his opponent didn’t make it easy for him, playing incredibly. However, we knew that if Roberto stayed in the game until the end, he would have a chance, and thanks to his continuous effort and good play, he managed to turn the tide. Subsequently, that victory boosted Carlos (Alcaraz) to play more freely on the court; today, I saw him much better than against the Czech Republic."

Vengeance for what happened in 2023

"I don’t hold any grudges. It's true that last year we couldn’t qualify, the players tried, but this is sports, sometimes it goes well, and other times not so much. If we hadn’t qualified, our lives wouldn’t have changed. I try to contribute my bit because, ultimately, the ones who matter are the players; they are the ones who have led us to Malaga. I am very proud of having qualified; we were in the 'Group of Death,' and we made it, even the doubles approached it with great professionalism despite having already achieved the goal."

Does Sunday's outcome matter?

"I prefer to finish first in the group, but simply because winning on Sunday is preferable to losing. In this format, it doesn’t matter much because there will be teams that finished first or second in the group stage and will completely change the team in the Final Phase. You never know what's best, but if we win against Australia, even better."

Evolution as a captain

"I have gained more experience in certain aspects, but I have been a player and have had four captains. I believe that when we won, 98% of the time, the credit went to the players. I am not saying this now because I am the captain; even when I was a player, I thought the same way. If we have now qualified for Malaga, it's because I have great players; there is nothing more to it […] If we hadn’t achieved it, it would have been the captain's fault (laughs)."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, David Ferrer: “Quiero que el equipo disfrute de esto”