Coupe Davis - Phase finale - When Spain was everywhere
2019: Madrid thrills and Granada disappoints
The first edition of the new format of the Davis Cup took place in 2019 in Madrid. "La Caja Mágica" brought together 18 teams that played in six round-robin groups. The top two teams from each group, plus the two best third-placed teams, qualified for the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals and semi-finals were played in a direct elimination format. Spain, being the host country, reached the final after beating Argentina, Croatia, and Great Britain. In the final, they faced Canada, the surprise team of the tournament, and the victory went to Nadal and company by a resounding 2-0.
2021: Innsbruck gets the title and Turin gets a finalist
Due to the health crisis caused by Covid-19, the 2020 edition had to be postponed until 2021. That year the headquarters were divided into three cities: Turin, Innsbruck, and Madrid. The format was maintained, consisting of six groups of three teams each. The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams qualified for the quarter-finals. The venue for the quarter-finals and semi-finals was Innsbruck, while the final was played in Turin. Spain reached the final again, this time against the Russian Tennis Federation, and won the title by 2-0, thus regaining the Davis Cup after six years.
The 2021 edition was marked by the absence of Novak Djokovic, who preferred not to travel to Innsbruck to defend his title with Serbia. The absence of the world number one opened the door for Daniil Medvedev to lead the Russian Tennis Federation to the final, where they were defeated by Spain.
Nadal, the soul of the Spanish team
Spain's victory in the 2019 and 2021 editions of the Davis Cup was largely due to the extraordinary performance of Rafael Nadal. The Spanish tennis player played a total of 11 matches in the two tournaments, winning 9 of them. In the 2019 final against Canada, Nadal gave Spain the victory by beating Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the decisive match.
In the 2021 final against the Russian Tennis Federation, Nadal once again led the Spanish team to victory by defeating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4 in the first match of the tie. Nadal's performances in the Davis Cup have been key to Spain's success in recent years, and he has become one of the most important players in the history of the competition.
Spain, a Davis Cup power
Spain is one of the most successful countries in the history of the Davis Cup. With 6 titles, it is the fourth country with the most titles, behind the United States (32), Australia (28), and France (10). Spain's first Davis Cup victory came in 1906, and since then the Spanish team has been a regular participant in the tournament.
In recent years, Spain has been one of the dominant teams in the Davis Cup. Since 2000, Spain has reached the final 8 times, winning 6 of them. This success is due in large part to the presence of great players such as Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, and Feliciano López.
Conclusion
Spain's triumph in the 2022 Davis Cup demonstrated that La Roja's great tennis moment continues.
