A surprise defeat can hurt. But for the Netherlands, the 3-2 loss to India in the Davis Cup qualifiers has spiraled into something far bigger – an internal feud now playing out in public. How did the two top Dutch ATP stars react to this?

The Dutch team arrived without their top names – Tallon Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp – and paid the price. In the deciding rubber, Jesper de Jong fell to India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh, who was ranked outside the Top 400 at the time. The upset didn’t just eliminate the Netherlands – it ignited tensions inside the locker room.

Speaking later at the Rotterdam event, De Jong openly criticized Griekspoor’s comments about the national team: “It’s disrespectful. You shouldn’t disparage your country. I don’t talk to Tallon. If someone treats his teammates like that, I don’t need to give him a hug.” Griekspoor responded immediately after his opening-round win in Rotterdam, taking aim at De Jong’s decisive loss:

“He says I’m embarrassing the country, which I think is a strong word for someone who loses to the world’s number 500. I’m not going to waste time and energy on people who are of no use to me, and that includes him,” said the 29-year-old ATP star.

The exchange made clear the issue runs deeper than a single tie – it’s personal. The dispute actually began before the tie. Griekspoor refused to travel, criticizing the Royal Dutch Tennis Association’s professionalism and facilities. He described the courts as “scandalous” and labeled the management “amateurish,” pointing to the absence of technical director Jacco Eltingh at the national center.

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His frustrations date back to the 2024 campaign – despite reaching the Davis Cup final in Málaga, where he questioned team selection policy:
“A player ranked 25th in singles is better than the No. 25 doubles player.”

The conflict now leaves the Dutch team in uncertainty. Reports suggest Griekspoor could risk exclusion from the World Group I playoff against Colombia in September. What began as a shocking defeat to India has turned into a full-blown rift between two ATP players and possibly between players and the federation. And unless tensions cool quickly, the Netherlands may face a bigger challenge than any opponent: rebuilding unity inside its own dressing room.

But amid all these, Dhakshineswar Suresh’s brilliance earned huge praise from the Dutch captain, Paul Haarhuis. What did he say about the Indian ATP star, though?

Paul Haarhuis showers praise on the 25-year-old Indian ATP pro

Under the Bengaluru lights, one name echoed louder than the rest – Dhakshineswar Suresh. The 25-year-old college student stunned the tennis world, steering India past the World No. 6 Netherlands in a dramatic Davis Cup Qualifiers first-round clash.

Ranked No. 459 in the world, the Indian ATP star delivered a performance for the ages. After taking down the Netherlands’ highest-ranked player, Jesper de Jong, in Saturday’s singles, Suresh returned on Sunday to play doubles alongside Yuki Bhambri. Facing the experienced Dutch pair of David Pel and Sander Arends, the newly formed Indian duo produced a gutsy 7-6(0), 3-6, 7-6(1) victory after three intense hours. The tie would eventually go the distance.

Despite Sumit Nagal battling through a grade-two tear in his right thigh, De Jong leveled the contest in the reverse singles. That set the stage for a winner-takes-all decider between Suresh and Guy Den Ouden. Unfazed by the moment, the Wake Forest student broke in the seventh game of the opening set and held to love to seal it 6-4. The second set tightened into a tiebreak, but Suresh reeled off a crucial run of points to close out a famous 6-4, 7-6(4) victory – collapsing onto the court as the home crowd erupted. With the win, he became the first Indian to claim three matches in a Davis Cup tie since Leander Paes in 2004.

The magnitude of the performance wasn’t lost on Netherlands captain Paul Haarhuis. “Hats off to Suresh, who played fantastic tennis,” Haarhuis told DavisCup.com. “He carried the Indian team. He’s definitely not ranked where he should be ranked when he plays like this. I think he will definitely improve his ranking very fast as soon as he turns pro. He’s got a good future. What he showed this weekend was very promising.” High praise – especially coming from the opposition bench.

Suresh, who remains unbeaten in Davis Cup play after debuting with a win over Jerome Kym last year, emphasized the emotional boost of representing the country in the Davis Cup. “It’s just a different feeling when you’re playing for your country,” he said. “You are not playing for yourself; you’re playing for the whole nation. I have played some different tennis in these last four matches at the Davis Cup. I’m really happy that I did that.”

For India, it marked their deepest run in the World Cup of Tennis since falling to defending champions Serbia in the last 16 fifteen years ago. For Suresh, it may well be the moment that launches a promising professional career – one that even his opponents believe is destined to rise fast. What are your thoughts on this incredible Davis Cup battle?