La rédemption de Munar en la Davis : "Lo de Marbella fue un severo correctivo"

Jaume Munar is one of the great names of a day where the final chapter has not yet been written. Spain needed the victory of the Majorcan to survive in Bologna... and he certainly responded: 89% of points won with the first serve, a flawless performance on the sidelines, and a crucial victory over Jiri Lehecka to send the series to the decisive doubles point with the 1-1 on the scoreboard.

Contained joy. This could define the mood of Jaume Munar, fully aware that the job is not done yet but hugely appreciative of a much-needed victory. After conceding in Marbella in his debut as the number one, the player from Santanyí described in press conference the mental shift that led him to triumph today, admitting that he underestimated the emotions of the Copa Davis 2025 and that the experience against Denmark was a significant trigger for his fantastic end of the season.

The most sincere Jaume Munar opens up about pressure, the Marbella experience, and his great triumph over Lehecka

- Great victory over an inferior Lehecka

"He is a player who adapts perfectly to this surface, yes. I had been playing very well indoors this year, and truth be told, I felt great. Obviously, in the long run, he is a better player than me; I was aware of that. But it's still about the Davis Cup, a match, and it's about proving who is better on that day. I came out with that mindset, felt good, and it showed in the result. Very pleased."

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- The experience in Marbella, where he lost as the team leader in his first match, was crucial to playing with this confidence... if he didn't win, they were going home, but he didn't care about it

"Personally, there are two very important things here. Firstly, my serve: it gives me the tranquility that if I serve well, I can compete with anyone on these courts. Two: the crucial experience I had in Marbella. It was a harsh lesson for me; I underestimated the emotion, maybe, of this competition. Looking from within, with all humility, it was very challenging for me. Today, that was crucial to facing the match as I did, beyond the outcome. I learned that in the Davis Cup, emotions run high from start to finish; perhaps in other competitions, you may feel pressure at specific moments, but here, from start to finish, you must live with it. That’s what I have been working on these last months; the Davis Cup helped me a lot to end the year as I have and to be here with the utmost enthusiasm."

- About his level today and how he felt: is it a continuation of his great performance in Basel, where he reached the semifinals?

"Yes, I felt at a good level overall. I wouldn't say it was a stellar match; it was a match where two guys served well most of the time, but one took more chances than the other... and that's it. It's not my favorite kind of tennis to watch, honestly, but it's the reality of tennis today, and I'm focusing on that. It’s about serving well, being as consistent as possible in that aspect of the game, which I think I did very well today, and then trying to capitalize on the opportunities I had when returning. There were few opportunities; I feel I returned very little today, but what I did, I did well. That’s how today's match result came about."

- Confidence: how was that confidence built? Is there a turning point to play this well indoors?

"I always say that confidence for me speaks a lot about mental aspects, and I work on those with Lorena, who is in charge of that part in my team. The reality is that as you improve as a tennis player, with better shots, better impacts... everything intensifies. That's the first phase. Then, as matches progress, confidence grows on that foundation, but if you don't improve tennis-wise, no matter how confident you are, your tennis and level don't rise. This year, I have grown a lot in terms of tennis, which has given me the opportunity and the tools to then transform it into confidence. I feel very comfortable indoors because I’m aware that my tennis is better; there are no distractions (wind, etc.), so it’s a surface where, playing well and serving like today, I feel confident."

- A team living on the edge and capable of comebacks: anything can happen in the Davis Cup

"Without a doubt. From my perspective, I was fully confident; I said that in the first press conference, with or without Carlos. The truth is, you have to hold onto what you have, not wander around, thinking about what you would have liked or not. We have what we have, something that needs to be accepted and valued, and yes, that’s our mentality. I think it has been our strength even having Rafa Nadal and David Ferrer as individual players. I think they have been the epitome of that mentality and grit, and it’s up to us to do the same. I have grown with them, and I try to bring that to the court: passion, desire, and giving it all, and that's what I did today, also believing that Pablo deserves full credit, even if the result wasn't favorable."

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