"I was afraid" - Spain captain reveals the truth behind controversial decision to leave out No. 2 from Carlos Alcaraz-led Davis Cup team

David Ferrer, Carlos Alcaraz-led Davis Cup team captain, reasoned that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina ruled himself out after a sequence of events that seemed controversial. Although the former had a conversation with the Malaga player about a fifth spot on the team, Davidovich ruled out since he didn't appear in the first 'call-up'.

In the Davis Cup qualifiers, Spain pulled off a huge upset by defeating Denmark, as Pedro Martinez overcame Holger Rune, and the team recorded three consecutive wins. Interestingly, Davidovich, Spain’s No. 2 player after Carlos Alcaraz, was not included on the roster. Later, when Ferrer announced the Davis Cup Finals squad, the Malaga native was once again left out.

In an interview, Alejandro Davidovich expressed his disappointment but promised to return to his best level next year. In a recent appearance on El Partidazo de Cadena Cope, Ferrer revealed the reason behind not selecting Davidovich, explaining that the latter had missed the qualifiers due to physical and mental exhaustion, and he feared that Davidovich might withdraw again.

"I had called up Davidovich both for Switzerland, in February, and for Denmark, after the US Open, but he claimed physical and mental exhaustion as the reason not to compete. For Bologna, I decided to name four players and didn’t include him because I was afraid he’d pull out at the last minute again, like he did in previous ties."

"I called Alex and told him I was going to name these four players and keep a fifth spot open to see how the season ends. He told me not to count on him if he wasn’t part of the first call-up. I’ve never ruled out Davidovich — he’s a very good player — but that’s what happened. I want to talk to him when our participation in Bologna ends. If he truly wants to play for the team next year and show commitment, I have no problem calling him up. I’m not resentful.”

The Spain caption also added that Carlos Alcaraz hadn't participated in the qualifiers but the No. 2 never cited mental or physical issues.

Carlos Alcaraz took a breather amid the tour by attending a soccer game

Rolex Paris Masters 2025 - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed a successful season, winning the French Open and the US Open titles, besides multiple Tour-level wins. Following his Japan Open heroics, the Spaniard was in contention at the Paris Masters but fell to Cameron Norrie in the opening round.

As he readied himself for the ATP Finals, Alcaraz attended a soccer game of Real Murcia, his home team. In a video, he was seeing embracing fans at the stands as he climbed up the stairs to grace the stands at the Real Murcia vs Antequera match-up.

The ATP Finals are scheduled to run from November from November 9, 2025.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder