Carlos Alcaraz reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings on September 7 after defeating Jannik Sinner in the US Open final, earning his sixth career Grand Slam. The 22-year-old Spaniard was initially expected to represent his country in the Davis Cup matchup against Denmark, but he has officially withdrawn.
The Spanish Tennis Federation confirmed that Alcaraz will miss the second-round tie in Valencia, scheduled for Sept. 12–13, citing physical fatigue from his demanding American swing.
In addition to Alcaraz’s absence, Spain will also be without Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The World No.20 announced he would not participate due to exhaustion and a congested schedule.
That leaves captain David Ferrer with a roster of Jaume Munar, Pedro Martinez, Roberto Carballes Baena, and Pablo Carreño Busta. US Open doubles champion Marcel Granollers was originally named to the squad but pulled out after suffering a right ankle sprain in New York.
The matchup begins Saturday, Sept. 13, with two singles matches. Sunday’s slate will feature the doubles rubber followed by the final two singles contests. Spain advanced to this round after defeating Switzerland 3–1 in Biel earlier this year. Denmark, led by World No.11 Holger Rune, pulled off a dramatic comeback against Serbia, rallying from 0–2 down to win 3–2 at home.
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Denmark’s squad
Denmark will field its strongest roster for the tie, led by World No. 11 Holger Rune. He will be joined by Elmer Moller, August Holmgren, Christian Sigsgaard, and doubles specialist Johannes Ingildsen, with former pro Frederik Nielsen serving as team captain.
This will be the sixth Davis Cup meeting between the two nations. Spain holds a narrow 3–2 advantage in the head-to-head, with their most recent clash coming 10 years ago in Odense. That tie ended in Spain’s favor behind a lineup that featured Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Fernando Verdasco.
