Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz learn their fate ahead of potential end-of-year shoot-out
This year’s ATP Finals in Turin may be seen as a warm-up event for a contest that could be one of the highlights of the tennis year, with the draw for the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga throwing up some exciting ties.
Eight nations have made it through to a Final shoot-out to decide the Davis Cup, with defending champions Italy top seeds after Jannik Sinner fired them to glory in last year’s competition.
The bottom half of the draw will feature Spain, who failed to qualify last year after Carlos Alcaraz opted out of the Finals Group Stage that is played the week after the US Open.
Alcaraz’s shock early exit at the US Open this year meant he had more time to commit to the Davis Cup and he played a full part in a team captained by David Ferrer qualifying for the Malaga finale.
Spain’s presence in the Finals is certain to ensure a carnival atmosphere in Malaga in mid-November, with the prospect of a Sinner vs Alcaraz showdown in the final a real possibility.
Before that, Sinner and Italy face a quarter-final tie against a strong Argentina side that emerged through Group D in Manchester last week.
Argentina captain Guillermo Coria has plenty of top 30 players to select from, but they are not at home on indoor hard courts and that should give Italy a big edge if Sinner plays.
The second quarter-finals sees what could be a very strong USA team taking on Lleyton Hewitt’s Australia, who have been runners-up for the past two years in the Davis Cup.
Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton could all play for a USA team captained by doubles legend Bob Bryan.
The third quarter-final sees a Germany team that may be boosted by the return of Alexander Zverev take on 2022 Davis Cup champions Canada, who will have indoor specialist Félix Auger-Aliassime leading their charge.
The winner of the Germany vs Canada tie could face Spain in the semi-final and there is a possibility that this could be Rafael Nadal’s final tournament of his professional career.
“I spoke to Rafa, but we don’t know anything yet,” said Spain captain David Ferrer.
“There is a possibility that he could be with us in Malaga in November. His goal was the Olympics this year, then he stopped. He needed to rest and spend time with his family, so it was right not to call him up now.
“I will speak to him later. The important thing is that he is well. If he arrives in good condition in November, he will certainly be a player we can count on.
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“There is plenty of time to define the team that will take to the field in Malaga. Now they have to focus on the tournaments. I have a lot of good players to choose from.
“It is a positive thing, but at the same time a negative thing: someone will have to be left out. At the moment I am not 100% clear. I only know that this week they have given me immense joy.”
Alcaraz is also hoping Nadal plays in Malaga as he said: “I heard David [Ferrer] say that if Rafa was there, he would go all out with him. I hope I’m also physically fit to be able to go to Malaga. It’s something that I’m particularly excited about and I hope Rafa is there too.
“Rafa is one of the greatest in the history of our sport. For me, he is my idol, he is the one I watched the matches with when I was a child. I have tried to learn from him as much as I could during the time we were together. He has been a unique tennis player.”
Ferrer is relishing the prospect of playing the Davis Cup Finals on home soil and if it is Nadal’s farewell, it will be quite an occasion.
“It’s an incredible feeling, we played all the matches very well, although it wasn’t easy. They believed in themselves a lot, I couldn’t be happier for them,” said Ferrer after qualifying for Malaga.
“These are moments of great happiness. I can only congratulate all my players for the faith they had in their tennis. Happy for them and also for me, this week spent in Valencia is a beautiful memory that we will carry with us forever.
“The word that defines this team is courage. Courage for having overcome difficult moments. It would have been impossible to achieve this result without this quality.”
The full quarter-final draw for the Davis Cup Final 8 is:
Italy v Argentina
USA v Australia
Germany v Canada
Netherlands v Spain
The eight teams will compete to be crowned 2024 world champions at the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena in Malaga on 19-24 November.
