Carreño: "Credit must be given to this team, we have great careers behind us"

Carlos Navarro | 22 Nov 2025 | 15.03

Carreño signed a tremendous victory against Struff. Source: Getty

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Pablo Carreño has been the major protagonist of this Saturday morning at the 2025 Davis Cup Finals. The man from Gijón managed to give Spain its first point in the semifinals against Germany by showing a version of conviction, grit, and great composure in crucial points, completely opposite to Jan-Lennard Struff who wasted up to five set points in the second set tiebreak.

A victory that not only brings great joy but also a bit of relief: after the defeat against Mensik, Pablo Carreño needed to redeem himself through a triumph, proving that it's not just about feelings, but that he still possesses the magic of wearing the Spain jersey on his chest. In a press conference, the Asturias native once again highlighted the human bond within this team, showering his teammates with praise for their performance against the Czech Republic, and described the comeback in the second set tiebreak as "miraculous."

Pablo Carreño vindicates Spain in this Davis Cup, talks about his improvement in serve and return, and bets on Spain

- With your victory, all members of the Spanish team have earned a point in these Finals. What does this say about the Spanish team and this squad?

"It's clear that the team we have is not the best we could have; for example, with Carlos (Alcaraz), the level would be much higher... but in the end, we're here to give our all. As I said on the first day, we need to give ourselves some credit: we have a career behind us and have achieved great things. The other day, Jaume played a spectacular match and tied the series, and then Marcel and Pedro showed excellent composure in the doubles, not getting nervous and closing a very tough tie. Today, I gave the first point, but who wins the points is somewhat anecdotal: what matters is advancing in the ties. Personally, I would prefer to lose and win 2-1 than to win now and lose 1-2 (smiles). This point was crucial for Spain, but we still have one more to go. We must continue."

- Yesterday, between Cobolli and Bergs, there was also a comeback from 1-6 down in a tiebreak, similar to what happened to you: Did you remember that comeback to turn around that tremendous disadvantage in the tiebreak of the second set against Struff?

"Well, the tiebreak yesterday between Cobolli and Bergs was incredible. Both had their chances; it was amazing. I don't think it was very similar to today though. Cobolli and Bergs are players who serve well but are versatile, not just servers, maybe they resemble me more than Jan-Lennard, someone very aggressive with a powerful game on this surface. Indeed, being 6-1 down... things were very tough. I had to do my job and see if he did his. With my serve, I was very solid and took advantage of his nerves when closing out, which is never easy. Still... the tiebreak was somewhat miraculous, yes."

- Last year around this time, you were playing a Challenger in Alicante: now you're earning points for Spain in the Davis Cup Finals

"Last year, around this time, I was playing a Challenger at Montemar in Alicante. This year is different because the season's goal and work have already been accomplished, which was to return to the top 100 and qualify for the Australian Open, which I did almost a month ago. I've been on vacation, spent time with my family, done it all already (smiles). It is true that I had an offer to play a Challenger, but my priority is to be here with Spain. David took a bit longer to call me up, but it's something to accept, because based on my current level and ranking, there are players ahead. I accept it calmly: I waited for my chance, also in Marbella, where I wasn't initially called up and ended up playing both singles matches. Here's the same. You have to accept and always be ready for these situations."

- Improvement in serving after your match against Mensik: today, it was you who made your opponent struggle with second serves, and that service helped you immensely

"I'm very satisfied. Maybe the things I lacked the other day worked out today. Mensik's level, throughout the year, has been incredibly high: he doesn't give you any freebies. Struff, at times, did give me some opportunities, some second serve returns that didn't go in... you don't feel the same pressure, so your serve helps you more. There were moments at 0-30 or 30-30 where I did feel powerful; comparing it to Mensik's serve, there were moments when he hit second serves at 200 km/h: even though they are second serves, it's very difficult to take the initiative. Still, I think I returned the second serves very well. Today, even though they weren't winners, it's true that I made him play more from the baseline, kept the ball in play, and from the back of the court, both today and the other day, I felt strong, not sure if superior, but very solid."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Carreño: "Hay que dar crédito a este equipo, tenemos grandes carreras detrás"