The new tennis season is in full swing, and excitement is soaring as players hit the courts with fresh energy. But amidst all the buzz, there’s a storm brewing in Spain’s Davis Cup camp, and Captain David Ferrer is at the heart of it. With the Davis Cup set to take center stage soon after the Australian Open, Ferrer is facing a daunting challenge—assembling a team amidst a wave of absentees. And the most notable name missing from the roster?

The qualifiers for the Davis Cup will begin towards the end of January and the beginning of February. Now, with captains forced to make their first call-up for the event, Ferrer will have to find alternatives as Spain will have to face Switzerland in Biel on February 1 and 2. As per the latest reports by Marca, it is expected that Alcaraz will not be able to represent his team given his schedule. 

The report suggests that Alcaraz is focused on his campaign in Melbourne as of now, as he gears up to return to action for the first time this season. While the first Grand Slam will end on January 26, the next event on the Spaniard’s schedule is the Rotterdam Open, a 500-point tournament, which is set to begin on February 1st.

While the final list of absentees will be released on January 6, Monday, the two other probable absentees are Roberto Bautista and Marcel Granollers. 

Now, if Alcaraz decides to participate in the Davis Cup, he will have to engage in a match just a day after the qualifying round in Biel, which will stretch his on-court activities to four weeks without a break. This will also include a lot of traveling and other off-court engagements, thereby leading to risks of physical fatigue and injuries. Hence, Alcaraz has decided to prioritize his goals. 

Interestingly, Alcaraz is trying to reduce his engagements and will refrain from playing a lot of tournaments. He is even said to not compete in any ATP 250 tournaments this year, per a report by Spanish publication Punto de Break. His focus will be on the 4 Grand Slam events, the 9 Masters 1000, around 5 ATP 500 tournaments, and the Laver Cup. These decisions, meanwhile, will also help him overcome the scheduling concerns that Alcaraz voiced quite a few times last season.

When Carlos Alcaraz complained about “super demanding” calendar

Carlos Alcaraz put up a remarkable show throughout the last season. Besides winning two Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon, he also managed to win the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. However, the continuous tournaments he played seemed to take a toll on him and he complained about the challenges time and again. 

Speaking about back-to-back tournaments, Alcaraz said that players do not get enough time for recovery, even after facing injuries. “Probably they are going to kill us in some way,” Alcaraz said after his surprise second-round defeat to Botic Van de Zandschulp at the US Open. “Right now, a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that [injury],” he added. 

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“I’m the kind of player who thinks there is a lot of tournaments during the year, mandatory tournaments and probably during the next few years gonna be even more tournaments, more mandatory tournaments,” Alcaraz had remarked earlier. He reiterated his stance ahead of the Paris Masters and said, “the calendar is super tight, super demanding.”

Now, with the star player making calculated and strategic moves, he can likely overcome the challenges. But for Spain’s Davis Cup captain, lies a massive challenge as he has some big shoes to fill.