At noon in Bologna: The last time the Spanish made it to the final four was in 2019

Spain without Alcaraz or Germany led by Zverev. Whichever way it goes, they’ll be the talk of the town. One as a silent spectator cheering and suffering in front of the TV, the other as an unwilling protagonist on the court. Carlos is injured; Sasha is revitalized. He had dismissed this Davis Cup as a mere “exhibition,” reluctantly accepting his friend Struff’s invitation. He changed his mind, sparking the comeback against Argentina with his singles victory over Cerundolo and cheering at the top of his lungs from the bench for the doubles team of Krawietz and Puetz, right up until 1 a.m. “ “It’s like a night at the club—I’ve lost my voice,” he said immediately after the 2-1 victory that sent the Germans to the semifinals.

Today at noon, history is on the line—for both national teams. The last time Spain reached the Davis Cup Final Four, in 2019, they went on to win the title, fueled by the “vamos” chants of a certain Rafa Nadal. Germany also made it there last year, but Zverev was missing; these days, he’s the only top-ten player present at the tennis arena set up at the Bologna Fairgrounds. The Germans’ goal is even more ambitious: to ride the coattails of the world No. 3 to bring home a trophy that’s been missing for 32 years—since the days of Michael Stich. For his part, Zverev would like to claim at least a small piece of the glory of Boris Becker, the icon who has been constantly berating him lately. While “Bum Bum” remains utterly out of reach—just consider his six Grand Slam titles, which dwarf Sascha’s three finals—the current German leader could begin to emulate him in the Davis Cup. Fans still remember the back-to-back finals won by Becker’s Germany against Sweden, led by his eternal rival Edberg, in 1988 and 1989. “You know how I feel about the current Davis Cup format: I think it’s much more exciting to play at home or on the road, with the warmth of a more engaged crowd. But now I’m here, and I’ll do everything I can to help Germany win,” Zverev proclaims.

redemption—  Just eight days ago, he lost to Auger-Aliassime in Turin and was knocked out of the Finals, wrapping up a far from satisfying year on the tour, with only one title won (not even a Masters, but the 500-level tournament in Monaco) and less than half the points of Alcaraz and Sinner. The Davis Cup could be his redemption. After Cerundolo, he’ll face another clay-court specialist, Jaume Munar, whom Spanish captain Ferrer has promoted to the top singles spot in the absence of No. 1 Alcaraz and No. 14 Davidovich Fokina. Munar, ranked 36th, won only four games in his last head-to-head match against Zverev at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. “But he’s playing much better than he did back then,” Sascha cautions.
Doubles—  Before them, the No. 2 players will take the court today: Carreño Busta (No. 89 in the ATP rankings) and Struff (No. 84 in the ATP rankings). The Spaniard leads 3-1 in their head-to-head record, but the last time they faced off was five years ago. The truth is that the outcome is wide open, so the name of the finalist might only emerge in the doubles, where there are at least three top specialists: the Germans Krawietz and Puetz, ranked sixth in this year’s Race and with 19 wins in 20 Davis Cup matches, and the Spaniard Granollers, champion at Roland Garros and the US Open, paired with Pedro Martinez, who has gone undefeated this year representing Spain (5 wins out of 5).

THE CAPTAINS—  “It could all come down to the doubles again. And in the past, we’ve often pulled it off. Against Argentina, we were on the brink of elimination several times but managed to pull through. We’re still here, and at this point, we’re nurturing the big dream of winning the cup,” says German captain Kohlmann. “If we managed to come back in Marbella against Denmark and here in Bologna against the Czech Republic, it’s because we’re united and trust one another. That’s how you succeed in the Davis Cup. It’s clear that big names can bring victories, but the team is what matters most,” replies Ferrer.