IT has seemed a world away since Spain lifted the 2019 Davis Cup. While the 2020 edition was ultimately cancelled and had to be postponed until 2021, it gives tennis fans extra time to work out what teams might look like when it recommences.

Draft Central will take a look at various nations over the break and see what the team might look like. Today’s team is Spain, one of the super powers of the ATP Tour, and ranked third overall in the Davis Cup Rankings, having won the title in 2019.

TEAM:

#2 Rafael Nadal
#13 Roberto Bautista Agut
#16 Pablo Carreno Busta
#9D Marcel Granollers

One of the teams to beat in the Davis Cup, it is very easy for Spain to put together a title-winning side, led by world number two, Rafael Nadal. The Spanish not only have great singles players, but the majority of them can back up playing doubles, with even Nadal capable of stepping up on the doubles court.

Looking at the singles spots which is a hotly contested race, Nadal is the clear number one singles player, with Roberto Bautista Agut earning the second spot. They both are getting towards the twilights of their careers, aged 34 and 32 respectively, and even Pablo Carreno Busta who is the baby of the team, is 29. The other Top 50 player is Albert Ramos-Vinolas who comes in at 46th in the world, but he too is the wrong side of 30 (32).

Spain need to start thinking about a transition phase into their next group of young stars, with perhaps playing Nadal in one singles against minnows and throwing 21-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina into the team, who is ranked 52nd in the world. Below him, Pedro Martinez (23-years-old) is ranked 85th, whilst fellow 23-year-olds, Jaume Munar and Carlos Taberner are in the Top 150 either side of teenage clay court sensation, Carlos Alcaraz.

They are the future of the Spanish Davis Cup team, but the nation can challenge for back-to-back titles, and Marcel Granollers will be the experience in the doubles. He could play with Carreno Busta in the doubles, and Nadal and Bautista Agut take the singles, while the next stars could have a match here or there in the extended squads. Overall, Spain is always a threat for a title.

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