Author: Barkha Roy
The Brazilian Davis Cup team began training on Tuesday in preparation for their upcoming Davis Cup World Group I match against Denmark. The matches are scheduled for this Friday and Saturday and will be played on indoor hard courts in the city of Hillerod. The winner of this clash will secure a place in the 2024 World Group qualifiers, an important step towards the prestigious Davis Cup finals.
Brazil’s number one and currently ranked 76th in the world, Thiago Wild, is riding a wave of confidence with a 10-match winning streak in recent weeks. He recently won the Como and Genoa Challenger tournaments, both on Italian clay courts.
Wild shared his thoughts on the upcoming matches, saying: “I’ve had to adapt to various playing surfaces over the last few months, but I’m feeling great. The court here is slower and the ball bounces lower, but I had a fantastic practice session. I’m coming off a title win and feeling very confident. Now it’s down to a solid week of training to be at my best in the matches.“
To add to the depth of the Brazilian team, 17-year-old João Fonseca, from Rio de Janeiro, is the reigning US Open junior champion and the new world number one in the junior rankings. Fonseca will be an integral part of the team’s training sessions during the week. He expressed his enthusiasm, saying: “It’s always an honor to contribute in some way to the team. Everyone is very confident and has shown excellent results playing at a high level. I think we’re well prepared“.
Reflecting on his transition from the junior circuit to senior competition, he added: “I had a great training session with Thiago Monteiro on my first day here on court. Winning the US Open hasn’t changed me; I’m still the same kid. On the court, I’ll do my best and off it, I’ll try to keep the spirit of the team high.”
The team, led by captain Jaime Oncins, features a strong line-up with Thiago Wild, Thiago Monteiro, Felipe Meligeni and doubles specialists Rafael Matos and Marcelo Demoliner. On the Danish side, Holger Rune, ranked fourth in the world, is the standout player, while the rest of the team is not among the top 400 in the ATP rankings. Elmer Moeller, a 20-year-old talent, is ranked 406th, August Holmgren is 412th, and Christian Sigsgaard and Johannes Ingildsen are options for the doubles matches.