Steve Darcis, Davis Cup hero: when the flag boosted his tennis

Former Wimbledon executioner of Rafael Nadal and Davis Cup hero, Steve Darcis delivers a bitter assessment of the evolution of a competition he loved so much.

© Si.robi - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Darcis_RG15_(11)_(18687440303).jpg

Clément Gehl

le 05/12/2025 à 10h02

2 min to read

Darcis

Steve Darcis, current captain of the Belgian Davis Cup team, also made a name for himself during his singles career with his victory over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2013, as well as for his performances in the Davis Cup.

The Belgian had a particular affection for this competition during his career, when matches were still played in a home/away format.

What he especially preferred was the decisive match at 2-2, where the number 2 players from each team faced off to secure the decisive point for their team, synonymous with victory.

Darcis decisive in decisive encounters

Until his defeat to Lucas Pouille during the French triumph in 2017, he had a record of 5-0 in these decisive matches.

All in all, he won 22 matches and lost 12. His most notable victory is probably against Alexander Zverev in 2017, on the indoor courts of Frankfurt.

The Belgian won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 and greatly contributed to Belgium's epic run that year, which saw them reach the final.

The Davis Cup culture

After defeating Zverev, who was ranked 22nd in the world at the time, Darcis highlighted the uniqueness of the Davis Cup: "The big difference is that we had a team while Germany had individuals.

It's true that experience helped me a lot. Alexander Zverev will one day be Top 5, but he still has to learn what it means to play in the Davis Cup."

A new format he criticizes without hesitation

Now captain of the Belgian team, Darcis passes on this team competition culture to his players, although he strongly dislikes the current Davis Cup format and did not hesitate to criticize it during a press conference at the 2025 Final 8.

"For me, the Davis Cup no longer really exists; I think the format is really disgusting."

Read the full investigation

The full investigation "The Davis Cup culture: a competition like no other" will be available the weekend of December 6-7.