"I always said I had confidence in the team, with or without Alcaraz," Munar reflects on Spain's victory over the Czechs
Spain will play in the Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 2019. David Ferrer's team came from behind to defeat the Czechs in Bologna, the host city of the Final 8. Before the decisive doubles match won by Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez, it was Jaume Munar who leveled the score with a straight-sets victory over Jiri Lehecka (6-3, 6-4).
The world number 36, who was preferred over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the selection, then benefited from Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal a few days before the match to represent his country on the court. In any case, he never doubted his teammates' mindset heading into this encounter.
"I always said that I had full confidence in the team, with or without Carlos (Alcaraz). We must focus on what we have, not wander around thinking about what we would have liked to have or not have. We have what we have, and that's already a lot. We must also appreciate this group at its true value. This is our mentality, but it was also our strength with Nadal and Ferrer in the team several years ago. They were the best representatives of this mentality and this fighting spirit.
And now, it's our turn. I grew up with them and I tried to bring that passion, that desire, and that will to give everything onto the court. That's what I did, and I think Pablo (Carreño Busta) did the same, he deserves full credit for it. I always say that confidence is linked to the mental aspect, and I work on it with my team, but the reality is that I am a tennis player. And once you build a better player, with better shots, everything intensifies. That's the first phase.
Then, as matches go on, confidence grows thanks to that work. But if you don't improve technically, you won't progress, even if you have a lot of confidence. This year, I improved and that gave me better tools to turn that into confidence. Indoors, I feel very good because I know my tennis is better, as there are no external elements like the wind, for example, that bother me, so I feel comfortable when I serve under these conditions," Munar told Mundo Deportivo.
