By Tennis Now | Friday, October 13, 2017
A pair of former French Open champions—Sergi Bruguera and Anabel Medina Garrigues—have been named Spanish Davis Cup and Fed Cup captains.
Photo credit: RFET Twitter
Spain reconnected with its championship past to lead its national future.
Former French Open champions Sergi Bruguera and Anabel Medina Garrigues have been named new Spanish Davis Cup and Fed Cup captains, the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) announced.
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Both Bruguera and Medina signed two-year agreements to serve as Spanish captains starting on January 1st.
The pair succeed 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, who previously held both positions. The RFET did not renew Martinez’s contract.
The Valencia-born Medina partnered Virginia Ruano Pascual to back-to-back Roland Garros doubles championships in 2008 and 2009, reaching a career-high doubles ranking of No. 3 and attaining a singles rank of No. 16.
In her first year as a coach, the 35-year-old Medina guided Jelena Ostapenko to her first Grand Slam championship at the French Open and a career-high rank of No. 7. Ostapenko made history as the first Latvian to win a Grand Slam and was the first woman in 39 years to win her maiden title at a major.
“When Javier Soler, the sports director, called me to offer the captaincy, the truth is I had no doubts,” Medina said in comments published by RFET.es.
Medina, who won 11 singles titles, will try to lead Spain back to the World Group. France swept Spain, 4-0, in the 2017 Fed Cup World Group. Five-time champion Spain is ranked 13th in the Fed Cup rankings.
In her debut as captain, Spain will face Italy in a World Group II tie set for February 10-11th, 2018.
The 46-year-old Bruguera captured 14 career titles, including successive Roland Garros singles championships in 1993 and 1994.
Bruguera said the quest to reclaim the Davis Cup combined with the support of Spanish players inspired him to take the job.
“For me it was fundamental to know that the players wanted me to be the captain, and everyone I could talk with has transferred their vision,” Bruguera said.
Spain will host 2015 Davis Cup champion Great Britain in the February 2-4th Davis Cup World Group opener.
Bruguera, who has coached Richard Gasquet for the past three years, posted an 11-9 Davis Cup singles record. He claimed the silver medal for Spain at the 1994 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games bowing to gold-medal champion Andre Agassi.