Spain Davis Cup team

Spain
Association RFET
Captain Sergi Bruguera
ITF ranking 7 Increase
Highest ITF ranking 1 (27 September 2004)
Colors Red & Yellow
First year 1921
Years played 79
Years in
World Group		 30 (37–25)
Davis Cup titles 5 (2000, 2004, 2008, 2009,
2011)
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 Sergio Casal
Manuel Orantes
Manuel Santana (14)

The Spain Davis Cup team is the men's national tennis team and 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 has won the Davis Cup five times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011), 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 Bartroli 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]

Davis Cup wins

Edition Rounds/Opponents Results
20001R:  Italy QF:  Russia SF:  United States F:  Australia1R: 4–1 QF: 4–1 SF: 5–0 F: 3–1
20041R:  Czech Republic QF:  Netherlands SF:  France F:  United States1R: 3–2 QF: 4–1 SF: 4–1 F: 3–2
20081R:  Peru QF:  Germany SF:  United States F:  Argentina1R: 5–0 QF: 4–1 SF: 4–1 F: 3–1
20091R:  Serbia QF:  Germany SF:  Israel F:  Czech Republic1R: 4–1 QF: 3–2 SF: 4–1 F: 5–0
20111R:  Belgium QF:  United States SF:  France F:  Argentina1R: 4–1 QF: 3–1 SF: 4–1 F: 3–1

Results

2000s

2010s

Year Competition Date Location Opponent Score Result
2010 World Group, 1st Round 5–7 March Logroño, Spain Switzerland Switzerland 4–1 Won
World Group, Quarterfinals 9–11 July Clermont-Ferrand, France France France 0–5 Loss
2011 World Group, 1st Round 4–6 March Charleroi, Belgium Belgium Belgium 4–1 Won
World Group, Quarterfinals 8–10 July Austin, United States United States United States 3–1 Won
World Group, Semifinals 16–18 September Córdoba, Spain France France 4–1 Won
World Group, Final 2–4 December Seville, Spain Argentina Argentina 3–1 Champion
2012 World Group, 1st Round 10–12 February Oviedo, Spain Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 5–0 Won
World Group, Quarterfinals 6–8 April Oropesa del Mar, Spain Austria Austria 4–1 Won
World Group, Semifinals 14–16 September Gijón, Spain United States United States 3–1 Won
World Group, Final 16–18 November Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic Czech Republic 2–3 Runner-up
2013 World Group, 1st Round 1–3 February Vancouver, Canada Canada Canada 2–3 Loss
World Group, Relegation playoff 13–15 September Madrid, Spain Ukraine Ukraine 5–0 Won
2014 World Group, 1st Round 31 January–2 February Frankfurt, Germany Germany Germany 1–4 Loss
World Group, Relegation playoff 12–14 September São Paulo, Brazil Brazil Brazil 1–3 Loss
2015 Europe/Africa Zone Group I, 2nd Round 17–19 July Vladivostok, Russia Russia Russia 2–3 Loss
Europe/Africa Zone Group I, First round play-offs 18–20 September Odense, Denmark Denmark Denmark 5–0 Won
2016 Europe/Africa Zone Group I, 2nd Round 15–17 July Cluj-Napoca, Romania Romania Romania 4–1 Won
World Group Play-offs 16–18 September New Delhi, India India India 5–0 Won
2017 World Group, 1st Round 3–5 February Osijek, Croatia Croatia Croatia 3–2 Won
World Group, Quarterfinals 7–9 April Belgrade, Serbia Serbia Serbia 1–4 Loss
2018 World Group, 1st Round 2–4 February Marbella, Spain United Kingdom Great Britain 3-1 Won
World Group, Quarterfinals 6–8 April Valencia, Spain Germany Germany 3-2 Won
World Group, Semifinals 14–16 September Nanterre, France France France 2-3 Loss

Current players (2018)

All players

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tie Details: Spain defeated Argentina 3–1 in Spain" Davis Cup, 12/04/11, accessed 12/04/11
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