Spain’s preparation for the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna has been disrupted following the withdrawal of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz due to injury. The development has reignited questions surrounding captain David Ferrer’s earlier squad selection, which notably excluded Spain’s second-ranked player, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, adding layers of complexity to the Spanish team’s campaign.
David Ferrer Dismisses Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Question Following Carlos Alcaraz’s Withdrawal
Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from Spain’s Davis Cup Finals campaign on Tuesday, November 18, through a post on Instagram, revealing that he had sustained a muscular edema in his right hamstring. The World No. 1 suffered the injury during his loss to Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals final on November 17, where he received a medical timeout at 5-4 in the opening set and subsequently had his upper right leg strapped before continuing to compete.
Medical recommendations advised against competing in the Davis Cup quarter-final scheduled for November 20 in Bologna against the Czech Republic. Spain’s squad for the Finals comprises Jaume Munar, Pablo Carreño Busta, and Pedro Martinez, with former World No. 3 David Ferrer serving as captain.
At a press conference ahead of the tournament, a journalist posed a direct question to Ferrer regarding potential regrets about not selecting Davidovich Fokina for the Final 8. The journalist specifically asked: “David, obviously, you didn’t know back then that Carlos wouldn’t be able to play. Do you have any regrets of not calling Alejandro for this Final 8?” Ferrer’s response was notably curt and dismissive, stating simply:
“Next question. I don’t want to answer that question now. I explained two weeks ago. That’s it.”
Siento muchÃsimo anunciar que no voy a poder jugar con España la Copa Davis en Bolonia… 🥲 Tengo un edema en el isquiotibial de la pierna derecha y la recomendación médica es no competir. Siempre he dicho que jugar por España es lo más grande que hay y me hacÃa mucha ilusión… pic.twitter.com/ftWvwGUYcu
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) November 18, 2025
His refusal to elaborate and reference to prior explanations underscored his unwillingness to revisit the controversial selection decision, even in light of Alcaraz’s unexpected withdrawal.
Davidovich Fokina Controversy Surrounding Spain’s Davis Cup Squad
Davidovich Fokina is Spain’s second-ranked singles player following Alcaraz, with a career-high ATP ranking of World No. 14 achieved on November 3, 2025. Despite his elite ranking and status as Spain’s No. 2, Ferrer excluded him from the initial Davis Cup Finals squad announced on October 20.
The decision stemmed from Davidovich Fokina’s withdrawal from Spain’s Davis Cup qualifying tie against Denmark in September, when the Spaniard cited physical and mental exhaustion following a demanding season on the ATP Tour.
In a COPE radio interview, Ferrer articulated his reasoning, explaining: “For the Bologna call-up, I decided to select four players, excluding him, out of fear that he would withdraw again at the last minute, as he did before. When he told me again that he wouldn’t play due to physical and mental exhaustion, what could I do?”
When informed of his omission, Davidovich Fokina expressed his disappointment to Spanish media outlet Marca, stating: “Being ranked No. 18 in the world, I believe I deserved to be among the four best players of my country, with all due respect to my teammates, who, as I have said, are also great players.”
He recalled that Ferrer had contacted him approximately one week before the announcement to inform him of the decision, and acknowledged that he had previously expressed his availability to represent Spain. Davidovich Fokina’s frustration was evident in his assertion that his ranking should have warranted inclusion, particularly given that several selected players have lower rankings than him in the ATP Tour.
