The void of Spanish tennis: Alcaraz and nothing else

With alcaraz at number 2 and Rafael Nadal, The Spanish football player, who was out of competitions for a year due to his hip injury, fell to 446th place, his worst ranking in the last 20 years in the ATP and WTA rankings. Best classified in the ‘top 100’ other than Alcaraz: Alexander Davidovich (24th world). Behind the man from Malaga Roberto Carballes (63), Roberto Bautista (72), Bernabe Zapata (78), Jaume Munar (82) and Albert Ramos (85), the best Spaniard in the women’s classification Sara is upset (52), then Cristina Bucsa (56), Rebeka Masarova (91) and the same badosa (one hundred).

An evil was announced

In Australia, none of these ‘top 100’ advanced past the second round. Pit announcement was made Last year, apart from Alcaraz’s six titles, including Wimbledon, the only Spaniard to win a tournament was Morocco’s Carballés.

“The presence of Alcaraz hides the lack of Spanish players. “Now we have an outstanding player like Carlos, Davidovich, he has a lot of potential, he is capable of doing everything, but I think there is a lack of players at the back and on the women’s side it costs a little more,” he said. badosa After losing in Melbourne.

“I still think there is a gap. Good work of the Federation from the grassroots level or something like that. “I think this job can be done better in Spain,” he said, criticizing the former world number 2, who returned to the tracks after being away from the fields for seven months due to his back injury.

The fact is that Spanish tennis is facing a generational change, without a clear change at the level of champions, as in recent years. In Nadal’s shadow them David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Garbine MuguruzaCarla Suarez or like others who are currently nearing retirement Roberto Bautista anyone Albert Ramosover 35 years of age.

“A unique pyramid”

“We have gotten used to this very badly. For more than 20 years, we have achieved great success with our tennis players of very high level and with special talents. It is not always easy to have such players Nadal’s anyone alcaraz and many others are in the ‘top 5’, ‘top’ 10 or ‘top 20’ every year,” he emphasizes. Javier SolerSports Director of the Spanish Tennis Federation.

Although the federation has had a tournament circuit ranges from basic to professional peak. “We have a unique tournament pyramid that has never been seen before in the history of Spanish tennis,” he emphasizes. usually do An ambitious program with 90 ITF tournaments worth 10,000, 15,000 and 25,000 Euros, 4 tournaments with prizes between 40,000 and 100,000, 15 Challengers and 3 under-10, under-14 and under-16 categories, ranging from young juniors. WTA for 125,000 euros.

“Now A tennis player can break into the world’s ‘top 100’ ATP or WTA without having to leave SpainIt’s about what this means for players who benefit economically. “Previously this was impossible,” explains the sports director of the federation, which invests 1,400,000 euros of its 8.5 million euro budget each year and in direct aid to these tournaments alone, in addition to scholarships awarded to tennis players.

matter of talent

FET’s economic investment is negligible compared to the multimillion-dollar resources of the Australian, British, American and French federations. Grand Slams.

“Having money certainly helps, but it doesn’t guarantee you becoming a champion. Australia has been looking for it for 50 years and it is now number 1. Alex DeMiñaur, is of Spanish origin. You can train and teach to play, but The talent of great champions is innate. “You either have it or you don’t,” he concludes. usually do.