Carlos Alcaraz won't play for Spain at the upcoming Davis Cup Finals, and it proved an issue for Team Captain David Ferrer.
David Ferrer used to be a very good tennis player, being incredibly consistent although lacking major silverware. His tennis knowledge is vast, though, which is why he's leading the Spanish Davis Cup Team as Captain.
The former ATP player had some issues with the team because the country will be without top player Carlos Alcaraz and Pablo Carreno Busta, who has been injured for a very long time. Despite the troubles, the country still put together a solid team consisting of veterans Roberto Bautista Agut and Albert Ramos and younger players like Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
The country is hosting its group in Valencia, and ahead of that, Ferrer sat down with the media, discussing the upcoming matchups with Serbia, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Korea.
Union. To be humble. Integrity. I’m trying to give them [the players] these values. Of course, the important thing is to win the ties and have the best players, but it’s very important to have a good environment.— Ferrer on the team<br>
The former player also addressed the absence of Alcaraz which was an issue obviously but even without him the country should have enough talent to secure the knockout stages.
It was tough because Carlos is an important player – one of the best players in the world. But, I trust my team. I am very confident that we can do a great week and can compete with everyone.
Spain is not the only country that is dealing with cancellations, as the event comes days after the conclusion of the US Open. Plenty of players aren't looking to play immediately after a Grand Slam event. Especially one coming after two Masters events.
There are some valid questions about the timing of the event or team events in general because the Billie Jean King Cup has similar problems.