World number one Carlos Alcaraz had a tough break as his 2025 season wrapped up. He had to pull out of Spain’s Davis Cup campaign because of a right hamstring injury. He got an injury, which turned out to be an edema, during the first set of his final match against Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin. After heading to Spain’s training camp in Bologna, medical tests showed a pretty serious muscle strain with noticeable swelling. Taking the doctor’s advice into account, the 22-year-old had to make the tough call to withdraw from the competition.

Alcaraz took to social media to share his deep disappointment, saying, “I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play with Spain in the Davis Cup in Bologna… I have an edema in the sciatica of my right leg and the medical recommendation is not to compete. I’ve always said that playing for Spain is the biggest thing there is and I was very excited to be able to help fight for the Saladera. I’m going home sore…”

However, according to Ubitennis, after Spain made it to the Davis Cup final, Spanish captain David Ferrer shared his thoughts on Alcaraz not being there. He said, “Obviously, we all wanted Carlos to be here to help the team, he is our best player, but in tennis, there are injuries. I think we all believed, going day by day, point by point. We are players who can compete in all situations. We are proving this, and we want to continue like this. Sunday will be an important day, but we must continue along the same lines.” The team really had to put this philosophy to the test right away in the quarter-final match against Czechia.

When Pablo Carreno Busta dropped the first singles match, things didn’t seem too bright for the team. However, Jaume Munar, one of the players whose selection had been questioned, produced a superb performance to level the tie, forcing a decisive doubles match. Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez really stepped up, keeping their cool in those nail-biting tiebreakers to snag a thrilling win and a place in the semi-finals. It was a moment that definitely showed Ferrer was right to trust his team. The team’s resilience was on display again in the semi-final against Germany, a tie that mirrored the previous round’s drama.

Carreno Busta came through with another important start, narrowly defeating Jan-Lennard Struff in a thrilling straight-sets win that featured an amazing comeback from being 1-6 down in the second-set tiebreak. However, world number three Alexander Zverev managed to tie things up by beating Jaume Munar, but the Spanish team really showed their strength when it counted the most. In the crucial doubles match, the seasoned team of Granollers and Martinez stepped up when it mattered, taking down the German duo and sending Spain into the final.

Not having Alcaraz was a huge hurdle for the Spanish team, especially with all the drama surrounding Ferrer’s choice to leave out Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who is the nation’s second-highest-ranked player. This put extra attention on the captain and his decisions even before the first ball was hit. By sticking to his approach and fostering a strong team-first mentality, Ferrer led a motivated group of players all the way to the final. Still, Alcaraz was spotted cheering on the team even though he couldn’t play.

Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t help but cheer his team

Carlos Alcaraz posted a happy update from home on X, chilling on his sofa in his sneakers and catching some TV time. On the screen, you could see images of Pablo Martinez and Marcel Granollers from Spain’s Davis Cup team. There was a shelf above the TV filled with trophies, pictures, and awards. What really made the post stand out was the caption “VAMOOOOOOOS!!!,” which translates to “let’s go” or “come on!” in English.

Alcaraz was clearly thrilled about how Spain performed, even though he wasn’t able to play. Who could really blame him, right? Spain’s win in the semifinals wasn’t just about one ranking point; it was all about the team’s spirit.

This really shows that a nation’s strength in tennis goes beyond just having a top player. They really made history by showing that a strong team, fighting hard at every point, could win even without its top player.